Musings of A Medic
by TinkerLJ
Summary: "You can learn a lot when you're a medic." That was the first thing Doc ever told me, and considering everything, probably the wisest thing I have ever heard.
1. Chapter 1

_Lifeline crawled into my imagination and this is what became of it. This is a completely different kind of story for me. I am trying something new...different characters, different style. Reviews are happily welcomed. It's written in the first person POV of Lifeline. There will be lots of other Joes making appearances in it as well. (And I promise there will be some LJ/F...they are my favourites, you know! Can't write a story without them.) Let me know what you think, please._

 _It takes place in the Sunbow universe. As usual, normal_ _disclaimers apply...I don't own GI Joe, Marvel, hasbro, or Sunbow, nor do I make any profit from these stories._

* * *

"You can learn a lot when you're a medic." That was the first thing Doc ever told me, and considering everything, probably the wisest thing I have ever heard.

Doc was seated before his computer. I approached a little nervously.

"Anything I need to know about the members on this team, Doc?"

He spun his chair around till he was facing me, his lips lifted slowly into a knowing smile. "Don't worry. You'll figure it out." Then he pulled off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I guarantee it," he added quietly. I thought I almost caught a smirk as he turned back to his computer.

I just stood there. I wasn't quite sure what he meant. The man was a cool mystery if nothing else, but I could see that the Joes respected him. No. More than that, they trusted him.

Carl Greer, or 'Doc', has been with the Joes since the beginning. Maybe that's why his code name isn't very imaginative…'Doc' for a doctor. Hmmm, I wonder what genius thought up that name. Nevertheless, he's a proven part of this team and he was the first and only medic until I came along. Maybe I had better explain myself. I'm the new guy. I'm the outsider. I joined the Joes recently, but I'm not like them. I don't carry guns. I don't fight. In fact, I'm a Pacifist. But I'm also a medic and it's for those skills that I signed on with this unit. But, so far, except for treating a few of the Greenshirts, I haven't really done much. I talked to Doc about it. He just said I have to be patient, and I have been patient, up to a point, but this is getting ridiculous. I'm here to help. I just wish they'd let me do my job.

Here's an example of what I mean. Yesterday, Cover Girl rushed into the infirmary. She had her hand wrapped up in a bloodied grease rag.

"Is Doc here?"

"No…, but I'm sure if you just have a seat, I…" but, she acted as if she hadn't even heard me.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure I could help you…"

"No, that's ok. I'll just wait for Doc," and with that she grabbed a magazine from the rack and settled herself down in a chair to wait, completely ignoring me.

I couldn't do anything.

Absolutely nothing.

I finally retreated to my small office, my head bowed in defeat.

When Doc showed up, he took it all in stride. I have yet to see that man ruffled. I don't know how he manages it. He's always cool and collected.

Cover Girl jumped up and followed him into the exam room. I noticed she was careful to shut the door behind her.

A few minutes later, she came out, her right hand neatly bandaged. "Doc, please, I can't let the guys know," her voice was pleading. "You know I'd never live this down." She stared at him, her full lips puckered into a pout, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"Fine, Courtney. We'll keep it quiet. Wear gloves and don't let it get wet of dirty….And no straining or you'll pop your stitches."

"Thanks, Doc." she flashed a smile worthy of the runway as she spun on her heel and exited.

I turned to the Doc in disbelief, " Did you just…."

He turned to me, still wearing that broad grin he gave to Courtney.

"What?" he asked innocently as his grin slowly faded.

Courtney, or Cover Girl as she is known among the Joes, is one of our mechanics. She's also a tank driver. The best we've got, I've been told. Before she joined the Joes she was a runway model, hence the code name, Cover Girl. Even covered head to toe in grease, she's a beautiful woman. Hey, I'm a guy, I do notice those kind of things. Doc says there are just two other women on the team. After meeting Cover Girl, it makes me wonder what they are like. He warned me to watch out for all three. According to him, the women don't like admitting when they are sick or injured. All three are bad, the other two worse than Courtney, and none of them make good patients. I wonder what exactly he meant by that.

I was about to ask, but Doc just smiled mysteriously and pressed his lips together. He wasn't going to give anything away.

"You'll learn."

I was already getting tired of hearing that.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for reading and for reviewing!_

 _Whew! What a crazy couple of weeks. Sorry for the delay in posting. My oldest just graduated from Jr. High and my youngest from Kindergarten! It's been bustling at my house. LOL. All good, though!_

 _Literary Note: My daughter just introduced me to the Japanese writer, Sei Shonagon (996-1017). One of her journal entries describes crows flying away in groups of "twos and threes and threes and twos." I loved the visual so much I borrowed it for this chapter. The English translation of her book, which is a collection of her thoughts, is called_ _The Pillow Book._

 _As always…usual disclaimers…I don't own GI Joe…yada, yada…(smile)_

 _And, now back to Lifeline…_

* * *

What can I say, I love medical clinics. There's just something comforting about the sharp smells of rubbing alcohol and iodine, the lingering chemical sweetness of sterilisation and new rubber gloves, the squeak of soft soled shoes on clean floor tiles. I admit, I am very much at home in the sterile environment, at peace with the orderliness, the bright lights and the white walls. To me, hospitals have never been cold and clinical, they've always been places of hope and healing. That's probably why I became a doctor.

In the Joe infirmary, shadowing Doc those first days, I wore my stethoscope wrapped around my neck, an obvious reminder to everyone that I, too, was a medic. As I observed Doc's interactions with his patients, it was easy to see why the Joes trusted him. The man exuded confidence and trust. He was an incredible Doctor. He ran me through the paces, watching carefully as I treated Greenshirts and a few of the more easygoing Joe Team Members. But, to my chagrin, there were still many Joes who would only go to Doc despite my willingness to help. He was constantly busy while I had long moments of inactivity.

I wanted to be seen as more than just "Doc's Helper" to these Joes. I wanted to be their Doctor. After all, that's what I signed up for in the first place. But, as the days passed and my work load stayed the same, my frustration grew. I never mentioned it to Doc, but he knew. I had learned early on that the man is an expert at reading people. I guess that included me, as well. What I didn't know was that he had already put his own plan in motion.

One particularly slow afternoon, Doc startled me by coming up behind and placing a heavy hand on my shoulder. "Thanks to you, my leave was approved," he smiled broadly, holding up an official looking manilla envelope, "Hope you're ready for the Joes,… Doctor," then his eyes twinkled humorously, "All of them."

"What?" I stared at him in confusion. It took me a minute to process what he had just said. Then I leaned back in my chair, my face splitting into a grin. Doc was taking a leave? "Thanks, Doc," I stammered, realising all that it meant.

"Oh, no. Thank you." Doc slapped me on the back as his deep booming laugh filling the room, "Just get ready to learn, Son."

My smile slipped. He was giving me advice? Why did it have to sound so ominous? I wondered briefly how the Joes would take the news.

"Doc, you're leaving?" Fear, disbelief and incredulousness spread across the faces of the Joes gathered.

"I'm quite sure Lifeline can handle it."

"But…, Doc…."

He just smiled calmly, "I'll see you all in two weeks."

"Two weeks?"

Mouths dropped open to watch as he entered the Tomahawk and shut the door behind him. They stared as the helicopter lifted and flew into the distance, slowly growing smaller until it was just a speck in the bright blue sky and he was gone. The group slowly departed, twos and threes and then threes and twos, until I was alone on the tarmac. As I looked at the emptiness around me, I had an uncanny feeling that it was going to be a very long two weeks.

"Stubborn," Doc had called the Joes. I had to agree.


	3. Chapter 3

_These chapters are short...sort of one shots. I'll probably be posting them as single chapter scenes, a couple at a time. I think it's probably the easiest way to read. Please let me know if you think otherwise. As always, thank you for reading and reviewing!_

* * *

"Doc!," Alpine ran into the infirmary, looking around wildly.

"Doc's not here," I answered as calmly as I could. How many times had I already said that? Surely more than I could count.

"Where is he?"

"On leave, remember?"

"Oh, yeah…" I heard him complaining under his breath.

Behind him, two green shirts walked in supporting a limping Bazooka between them. His face was scrunched up and he was obviously in a lot of pain.

"Bring him over here," I pointed to an empty gurney.

Bazooka's eyes grew wide with fear.

It took all my effort not to sigh.

"It's Ok, Zook," Alpine was speaking soothingly to the bigger man. "Lifeline's a doctor, just like Doc. He will take good care of you." The small climbing expert flashed me a look that threatened, "or else."

"Ok, Alpine," Bazooka relaxed trustingly and allowed himself to be helped up.

Bazooka was a large man and slow on the uptake. Alpine was the opposite, small and quick. I found myself sneaking curious glances from one to the other until Alpine caught my eye and shot me a glare. I quickly bent my head to examine Bazooka's leg, running my fingers lightly over the bone, noting the swelling and discolouration. As I had expected, it was broken.

"What happened?" I asked Bazooka.

Alpine jumped in and answered for him. "He fell off the roof of the mess."

"What was he doing on the roof of the mess?" I asked evenly. I could feel my eyebrows rising, despite my continued effort to keep my face neutral.

"We were, um, practicing repelling…," he mumbled. "and well…the line…," his voice faded.

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, and then froze. A picture of Doc doing the same flashed in my mind. "Just great," I muttered irritably, "Now, they've got me doing it." I took a deep breath and continued in my most professional tone. "We need to get an X-ray and then we can set it," I turned back to my patient. "You'll probably be in a cast 4 to 6 weeks. You won't even have to stay in the infirmary if you promise to keep off your leg."

"Ok. I promise," he smiled, looking relieved.

"Don't worry Bazooka," Alpine's face was a mask of guilt, "I'll help you you out…whatever you need. And I promise to bring you lots of ice cream."

"Thanks, Alpine. Make sure it's Rocky Road. That's my favourite."

"Sure thing, Zook, old buddy," he smiled kindly.

I just shook my head. They were an odd friendship, to say the least.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks again for all the reviews! I appreciate every one! I am having a lot of fun writing this...Hope you're having as much fun reading. Lifeline is now on his own and about to meet some more Joes...The fun and confusion_ _continues._

 _Usual Disclaimers...I don't own..._

* * *

Talk about a night and day difference! Since Doc went on his leave and the running of the infirmary fell entirely to me, it's been going non stop, exactly the way I like it, busy.

At the moment, I was on the helipad, scanning the darkened sky. Every few seconds, I glanced down at my watch. It was past midnight and I quickly stifled a yawn. How Doc had done it all these years was still a mystery to me. I focused my energy on keeping my eyes open….and waiting. According to Wild Bill, the Tomahawk's ETA was 4 minutes. I glanced at the medical team behind me. Like me, they stood rigid with attention, their eyes fixed on the empty darkness.

From what little I had been told, the recon team had run into trouble with Cobra. All I knew was that injured Joes were on the way.

I continued to peer into the darkness, pushing down yet another yawn. A cool wind picked up, and I took a deep breath allowing it to fill my lungs. My head cleared and I revived slightly. From the corner of my eye, I saw an old newspaper rolling and skimming across the pavement, pushed along by unseen hands, helpless to the elements. My own thoughts began to drift. A year ago, I would never have imagined I would be where I am today, a member of the elite GI Joe force. At times like this, the reality still catches me by surprise.

I saw them before I heard them, two small white lights blinking in the darkness. Soon after, I heard the steady chop, chop of the rotor blades. My eyes followed their rapid approach as my body tensed in readiness.

The moment the Med Evac touched down, I was running, ducking under the rotor blades slicing the air above my head. "GO, GO, GO," I yelled above the noise, signalling to the Greenies. The adrenalin had kicked in and I was unstoppable. All my earlier weariness dropped to the side.

I yanked the Tomahawk door open and looked inside. Gung Ho and Ripcord were on gurneys attached to the frame. Both were unconscious. I pushed the field medic aside. A quick assessment told me that Ripcord had a bullet to the leg and that Gung Ho was the more serious of the two. He was covered in blood. He had been hit with shrapnel, most of the damage done to his left side. The field medic had done a good job getting them stabilised for transport. I gave him a quick thumbs up.

"Get them to the infirmary, STAT!" I ordered, signalling the team behind me.

Immediately, the Greenshirt medics swarmed the helicopter and carefully wheeled the two injured men to the infirmary. I was doing what I loved most, saving lives. All my training kicked in and I moved with quick precision. I didn't slow until the last stitch was in place and both patients were in their beds recovering.

Then it hit me, hard. Adrenalin gone, my knees nearly buckled with weariness.

I stumbled out of the surgery bleary eyed, peeled off the gloves and tossed them the trash. What a night. I had not been this tired since my days as an intern. I was beginning to understand why Doc had requested another medic. He had done this all the time, by himself, for several years? My respect for the man just raised another few notches.

I checked on my patients again, going over last instructions with the night staff. Gung Ho, was resting peacefully. He had sixteen stitches in his side, another five in his shoulder. The shrapnel had sliced through muscle and soft tissue but missed the vital organs. He was a lucky man. He'd heal up and be back to normal in no time. Though, no doubt, he'd be sore for a while.

Ripcord's surgery had been successful, as well. The bullet to his thigh had been removed and I repaired the damage. It had sliced through soft tissue and deep muscle and lodged itself just after nicking the bone. A centimeter to the left and his bone would have shattered. He was sleeping now, IV's dripping pain killers, antibiotics and fluids into his body.

They were both going to be OK. I flopped heavily in my chair, scribbling down last minute notes as the page in front of me began to blur and slide. I blinked rapidly and leaned back, my mouth split into a yawn. Time for this doctor to get some shut eye, I admitted reluctantly. The room grew dark as I turned out the small desk light. I'd be back in the morning.

(next day)

"Morning, Gung Ho."

My eyes widened as an attractive brunette stepped slowly into the infirmary. Her dark eyes darted around the hospital room nervously. I could almost see her hands trembling, clenched as they were by her side. I'd already met Cover Girl and this one didn't look like a Scarlet, so she must be…Lady Jaye? She walked over to Gung Ho's bed.

"You're looking good," her soft voice had an accent I couldn't quite place.

"What are you doing here, LJ?" the man in the hospital bed looked up in surprise.

My ears perked up. LJ? So this _was_ Lady Jaye. I was right! I was finally getting to know some of the more elusive Joe Team Members. I watched her carefully.

"I know how you feel about hospitals," his voice lowered to a whisper as he slid his glance sideways toward me.

"I'm fine," she said dismissively though her cheeks pinked slightly, "I was just visiting two of my favourite Joes, making sure they were Ok." She gave him a radiant smile.

Gung Ho smiled broadly in return. "Thanks. I'm good, Jaye. Can't wait to get out of here, though," he muttered in complaint.

"I know," she patted him on the leg sympathetically. "It's just a little longer. Then, you'll be back to stomping snakes again."

At her words, his face brightened once more, "You betcha I will."

She stepped forward quickly and gave the big man a hug. "Catch you later."

"Bye, Jaye."

Lady Jaye's smile faded as she turned her to attention to the other man, taking in the IV's attached to his hand. She swallowed nervously. "Hey Rip," she said softly, leaning down close to his ear.

He opened his eyes and smiled groggily.

"How are you doing?"

"Ok."

"I brought you something."

"What?" a dazed grin spread across his face.

She returned his grin and held up the small See's gift bag in her hand. "Your favourite. Butter Almond Toffees. I'll put them here for you." She leaned over and placed them on the bedside table next to him. "Make sure you share them with Gung Ho," she winked.

"I will. Thanks Jaye."

Jaye gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Take it easy, Ok?"

"OK," he mumbled before closing his eyes again.

"Hey my man, what's the plan?," an enormous figure filled the doorway.

"Roadblock!" Gung Ho let out a laugh, "I was wondering when your ugly face would show up."

My eyes widened. Roadblock, indeed, his code name fit him well. I had already accepted that Gung Ho was large but this man was equally so. In fact, the two were some of the biggest men I had ever seen. They reminded me of cement blocks…, very large cement blocks. I wondered if there were more big men on the team.

"LJ!," he gave a start as he suddenly noticed the brown haired woman standing quietly near Ripcord's bed. "What are _you_ doing here? Though it's always nice to see your face, I know this ain't your favourite place."

Rhyming? I decided it was better not to ask.

Lady Jaye let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes, "Come on, I don't think I'm that bad."

"Whatever you say, Jaye…," he smirked. "We've seen it before, how you've run out the door."

"And those rumors have been greatly exaggerated," her brow furrowed slightly.

"I'm just saying when you got the fear, its best to stay clear."

I'll remember that the next time you're in a hospital bed," she countered with a smirk. "No visits or presents from me," she crossed her arms over her chest, raising a eyebrow in challenge. Fully engaged in the bantering, she had forgotten for a moment where she was.

But, he wasn't about to give up. His forehead creased for a moment in thought. "If that's how it's gonna be, then no more chocolate treats from me," his face split into a grin.

Lady Jaye let out a chuckle and shook her head. Roadblock was well known for his talent in the kitchen. And, if he made more chocolate treats for the girls than anyone else on the team, no one complained. "You got me there, Big Guy. No one can resist your cooking," she spoke softly.

He laughed triumphantly. It wasn't often he came out on top with Lady Jaye but she had to let him have this one.

As she turned to go, she noticed me watching and her face paled slightly, remembering suddenly where she was. A slight tremor seemed to pass through her and her eyes glanced toward the exit longingly.

"Lady Jaye?" I stammered, rising to my feet. "Nice to meet you. I'm, Life…" I started to hold out my hand.

She narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously and took a step backwards. When she spoke, it was almost apologetic. "I don't like doctors," she said, keeping her distance, not taking her eyes off me.

"Boy, is that the understatement of the year," Gung Ho quipped behind me, elbowing Roadblock as they both roared with laughter.

Lady Jaye shot them a black glare. "Excuse me," she muttered, turning and exiting quickly, almost as if she couldn't wait to leave. Their laughter followed her into the hall.

I suddenly felt like I had missed the punchline to the joke. I stared moodily at the now empty doorway where Lady Jaye had disappeared. That had not gone well.

The guys behind me were already back to their conversation. I heard their deep voices rising and falling, broken by their occasional chuckles. Roadblock had seated himself in the chair next to Gung Ho's bed.

"Now, my man, why the frown? A little Cobra shrapnel won't keep you down."

Gung Ho responded with a lazy drawl, "Naw, I'll be out of here before you know it."

"Sure…, just a day or two and you'll be through."

Gung Ho's face turned serious. He lowered his voice, "By the way, did Baby make it back?" he asked in concern.

"Not a doubt." Roadblock smiled, "I made sure I got the old gal out."

Baby? Old gal? What were they talking about? My attention turned back to their conversation.

"Thanks, Man, I owe you one," he grinned as he punched Roadblock in the arm. "I'd sure hate to lose her. Those others just ain't never felt right," he murmured to himself with a sad shake of the head.

On second thought, maybe I didn't want to know. Between Lady Jaye and Baby, I was ready to call it a day. My head sunk into my hands.

Unfortunately, it was only 10 AM.


	5. Chapter 5

_Once again, thank you for reading and reviewing..._

* * *

I raised my eyes, unsurprised, as a black haired man with a scruffy beard, wearing a sweat soaked T-shirt and dirt smudged sweat pants, entered. I couldn't help but grimace as I noticed his pinky finger sticking out at an odd angle. I removed my glasses and rubbed my gritty eyes. Was it too much to ask for a quiet morning once in a while? When he saw me, his face split into an unexpected grin. "I broke my finger," he held up his hand as if it were a prized trophy.

"It certainly looks that way," I answered dryly, pinching the bridge of my nose. I didn't even bother to fight it anymore.

"I fell while running Beach Head's PT course," he continued jauntily, "Guess I'm off regular active duty for what, 2, 3 weeks?," he grinned at me, full of hope.

Before I could answer, the sound of heavy boots echoed loudly from the hall outside announcing the presence of the irate drill instructor. I think, unfortunately, he had heard everything.

"WRONG, SOLDIER!" he barked loudly as he pushed the door open with a bang.

 _Yup_. I winced and rubbed my temples.

A nurse exiting the chart room gave a small scream and dropped the stack of files she was holding. They slid across the smooth tile floor. She gave me a look bordering panic and quickly fell to her hands and knees, attempting to scoop them up in nervous haste. Looking at the mess, I just hoped she would be able to re-sort and re-assemble them later. Then, with a final wide eyed glance, she literally ran for the door, making sure to give a wide berth around the drill instructor.

The man is as solid as they come, all hard packed muscle. Everything about him screams military. I wouldn't want to cross him…or get on his bad side…ever. It's easy to see he's a master at intimidation and browbeating. Right now, I was just glad his ranting wasn't directed at me. Even so, I found myself shrinking down in my chair.

"Uh,…Hi there, …Beach Head," Shipwreck shot him a crooked grin, "…nice of you to see me to the …infirmary."

Beach Head slowly crossed his massive arms over his broad chest. His brown eyes, the only thing visible under the green balaclava, narrowed and darkened. "Nice? I …AIN'T …NICE," his voice deepened. "It was yer own dang fault you fell and you know it. I TOLD you to watch out for that second plank. Yer the ONLY ONE who didn't pay any heed."

"But, it wasn't my fault , Beach Head…I already told you I didn't hear you," he complained.

What was visible of Beach Head's face turned a darker shade of red. "Didn't HEAR me?" his nostrils flared, "MORE LIKE WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION!" he barked. "To help you clear out those defective ears, you WILL run the perimeter course, SOLDIER, TODAY. And next time, YOU WILL HEAR ME…" Flecks of spit flew from his mouth. "…THE FIRST TIME," he bellowed.

Shipwreck blinked and wiped his face with his hand in what was for him, an all too familiar action. He was used to Beach Head's tirades, having often been on the receiving end of one.

"Awww, Come on Beach. Just how am I supposed to do PT with a broken finger?" he screwed his face into what he hoped was a painful grimace.

Beach Head smiled coldly. "YOU ain't getting no sympathy from ME, you lazy, whining, good for nothing SAILOR! You WILL run that course and you WILL finish it. You DON'T need those fingers for the RUNNING COURSE," he yelled. "Just yer legs. And there ain't nuthin wrong with yer legs, is there?

"No Sir,… Beach…," Shipwreck's face paled slightly.

"Good. As soon as yer done here, I wanna see you back out there. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" He glared at Shipwreck.

"Uh yes, Beach Head, …Sir," Shipwreck gave a small strangled yelp.

Beach Head lowered his voice. Under the balaclava, he smiled. He was clearly enjoying this far too much, I thought. "I will be waiting for you. Don't even think about making me have to come find you."

"Uh,…No Sir," Shipwreck gulped.

I didn't dare move until Beach Head had left the room, afraid he would turn his rabid attention on me. I can tell you, I was at that moment singing praises that I had escaped PT so far. Thank you, Doc, for that wise tidbit. That drill instructor is absolutely insane!

I slowly let out the breath I hadn't even realised I was holding. I heard Shipwreck do the same.

"Is he always like that?" I asked, my voice unusually high and shaky.

"Who? Beach Head, PT Instructor, Sergeant Major Nightmare, Fourth in Command, Ol' Muscle Head, himself?" he sighed mournfully, "Unfortunately, yes."

I really needed to have a talk with Doc. "Come on, Shipwreck," I spoke gently, running a shaky hand through my hair, "We need to see to that finger."

Shipwreck gave a parting glance over his shoulder to the where Beach Head had exited. "Awww…, man," His face fell as he stared at his already purpling finger. "It just ain't fair…"


	6. Chapter 6

_I was beginning to feel sorry for Lifeline...Life with the Joes can't all be bad. After all, every cloud has its' silver lining. I just wanted to give him a boost of confidence. SO, this chapter does that._

* * *

Oh no, Oh no, Oh no. I can't believe I forgot. I just checked my schedule book and I have an appointment with the last of the notorious Joe women, today. It was one of Doc's, originally, an appointment made long before he received his leave approval, probably even before he put in the request. Can I be honest and confess that I have more than a little trepidation? My introductions to Cover Girl and Lady Jaye haven't gone so well. Cover Girl ignored me and Lady Jaye gave me the cold shoulder. I suppose my one saving grace is that this time, I have a heads up. I know she is coming. Why is it, then, that I am literally shaking in my boots? I look down at my feet in bewilderment. I didn't know people could actually do that.

Scarlet, If her flaming red hair is any indication, has just walked in. She is 10 minutes late for her appointment. I watch her slow, wary approach with equal wariness. After an already difficult morning, I can only guess what this will bring.

One again, as with Cover Girl and Lady Jaye, I find myself staring against my will. These Joe women surprise me and I can't help making comparisons between them. They are not at all what I expected for military elite.

Scarlet is a beautiful woman, like the other two, but with a look that is all her own. She has pale, ivory skin and lovely hair which she pulls into a long pony tail. She is tall, willowy, and strong. Right now, she is staring at me with impossibly blue eyes.

I clear my throat nervously.

Today, she is scheduled for a blood test, the last part of her annual physical. Doc set it up with her over a month ago. After my past failed attempts with the other two Joe women, I wasn't quite sure how to approach her. After a moments' indecision, I decide on a professional tone.

"Good afternoon, Miss O'Hara."

She narrowed her blue eyes. They became like ice.

A cough escapes my throat. Hmm, maybe not professional. I think quickly, time for a plan B. I try for friendly instead, so I slap on a smile. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Scarlet. Doc has already filled me in on your appointment. I…uh… just need to get a small blood sample from you and then you will be free to go."

At the words "blood sample," her white face paled even more.

"I promise to use my smallest needle," I assured her dryly.

A shadow of a smile passed her lips. She tossed her red hair over her shoulder. She reminded me of an unbroken colt. "So, where do you want me?" Her voice carried a hint of a Southern accent.

"Exam room 1." I pointed to the door, biting back my smile.

When I entered a few minutes later, vials and needles in hand, she was sitting on the exam table, studying her fingernails. Her eyes widened as they settled on the objects I was carrying. "You know, my blood tests always come back normal. I'm sure this isn't necessary," she flashed a winning smile and my knees nearly buckled.

Good try, I thought, composing myself quickly.

"Well," I retorted, "If they _always_ come back normal, you ought to be pretty familiar with the procedure by now." I raised an eyebrow challengingly.

She stared at me a moment, considering. "Fine," she finally huffed as she stuck out her arm. I wrapped the tourniquet around her upper arm and had her make a fist. She squeezed her eyes shut. Two vials later, I slipped out the needle and pressed a cotton ball to her arm. "You can look, now."

"You're done," she stared at her arm in amazement. "It was so fast. I didn't even feel it."

"I _am_ a doctor and I've had _lots_ of practice," I quipped as I placed surgical tape over the cotton ball.

She stared at me, dumbfounded. "I…Uh…Thanks, Lifeline," she hopped off the table. Then she stopped and gave me a smile, a real genuine smile. I felt my insides turn to mush.

"I should have the lab results in 2 to 3 days," I returned her smile. _YES! Success!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you once again for reading and reviewing! Lifeline is beginning to find his place in the Joes. He still has a lot to learn, but he is making progress. Oh, and Doc is back! That makes all the Joes happy._

* * *

Word had spread over the entire base; Doc was back.

We were going over the Joe's medical charts one morning a few days after his return when I looked up in surprise. An out of breath Clutch stumbled into the infirmary and was leaning heavily against the door frame. Clutch was wearing his dark blue coveralls, heavily stained with dirt and black engine grease. He still had several tools stuffed in his pockets. His hands looked like they had been hurriedly wiped, his fingers and nails still black with grime. Not many Joes voluntarily come to the infirmary. I looked him over carefully with a practiced medical eye. I couldn't see any injuries and he didn't look sick.

"Hi, Doc," he panted, clutching his side, leaving a new set of dirty finger marks, "Need yer help," he drawled. I glanced at Doc who was still poring over the chart in front of him, then back to Clutch. He had his eyes fixed on Doc.

"Clutch," Doc acknowledged without looking up, "What is it this time?"

Clutch cast an uncertain glance my way. "I…uh, need some of that liquid pink stuff and something for a headache."

"I already told you I won't give you anything else for your hangovers," Doc met his eyes chidingly.

"But, It's not for me, Doc, " he let out an exasperated breath, "It's for Cover Girl."

"Cover Girl has a hangover?," Doc's eyes narrowed.

"No. She's got some kind of stomach bug or something. She got sick all over the motor pool," he grimaced, remembering the morning's earlier scene. "She would've come herself, but…" he coughed slightly and shifted his eyes.

"…she made you come for her?" Doc finished dryly.

"Um, yeah, You know how she is," Clutch shrugged and gave him a nervous grin, "So, Doc, can you give me something for her? Please?"

Doc let out a slow breath and nodded. He rose up from his chair and walked to the small pharmacy closet where he kept his over the counter drugs. He rummaged around and pulled out a few items and then handed them to Clutch. "Tell her to follow the directions on the packages exactly. If she gets worse or doesn't feel better by morning, have her come see me," he added.

"Ok," Clutch tucked the small package in an empty pocket, "And, thanks, Doc." He gave a brief nod in my direction and then turned and left as quickly as he had come.

"Joe women," Doc muttered irritably as he sat back down, "…thorns in my side."

I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off abruptly.

"Don't ask," he frowned as he pinched the bridge of his nose and turned back to the files.

Why was it that every time the Joe women were involved all I got from Doc was a "You'll learn" and "Don't ask"? I'd barely even met them and they were already giving me stress. Even more surprisingly, I had just learned that they were a cause of stress for Doc, too. I had honestly thought it was just me. I guess I was wrong. Suddenly, like a lightbulb going off in my head, I understood something very important. I turned my head quickly so Doc couldn't see the grin forming on my face. I had just realised that Doc wasn't perfect, either.

About an hour later, Duke walked in slightly embarrassed. He grinned sheepishly and ran a hand through his short blond hair. "Morning Doc," and then almost as an afterthought, "Lifeline."

"Duke?" Doc looked up at him in surprise. "What are you doing here? I thought you had conveniently lost the map to the base infirmary," he added dryly.

Duke was another of those Joes who preferred to pretend the infirmary didn't exist. He fidgeted uncomfortably, "I just came by to pick up some medicine…."

"Is this for you?" Doc's black eyes peered at him in shock.

"N..No." Duke squirmed under his stare, "It's for Scarlet."

"Oh?" he lifted his eyebrows. "Oh…I see," I could see almost see the thoughts running through his head. He exhaled slowly as his lips formed that knowing smile I had come to recognize. Duke stood uncomfortably as Doc turned his dark eyes on him, smiling like a cat with a bird in it's mouth. He leaned back and folded his hands behind his head. "Let me guess," he spoke cooly, "stomach problems, headache, fever?"

"Yes. Exactly. How'd you know?" Duke's mouth dropped open in surprise.

I spun around in my chair, giving up all pretence of being otherwise occupied. I was wondering the same thing.

"Do you happen to know if all the women were together last night?" Doc continued, ignoring both our surprised expressions.

"Yeah, I think they were," Duke wrinkled up his forehead in thought, "Why Doc?"

Doc sat up suddenly and let out a long sigh. "Figures…," he muttered to himself, "Here's the medicine. Tell Scarlet the usual…Come see me if it gets worse or if it isn't better by morning. Remind her that she won't like it if I have to come looking for her," Doc locked eyes with him over the rim of his yellow tinted glasses.

"Right, Doc. I'll let her know." Duke took the medicine and left.

As Doc turned back to his files, he paused a moment and called over his shoulder, "Oh, and Lifeline, you might want to get another packet of medicine ready."

"What? Why?" I asked in confusion.

He just bent over to his work and began humming softly. It took me awhile and then I recognised the tune, the Darth Vader theme. Oh, just great, I thought ruefully, here we go again.

The rest of the morning went by quickly. I have to say, the Joe's medical files were informative, to say the least. I was surprised by the variety of accidents and injuries noted. There had been everything from mission related injuries, including the expected bullet and shrapnel wounds, to the more remarkable knifings, sword impalings, and treatments for poison tipped throwing stars. That one apparently was a favourite of Storm Shadow, almost to the point that Snake Eyes was becoming immune to his poisons. Concussions were also common, it seemed. Duke alone had had several, as well as comas. No wonder he avoided the infirmary. There were also records of the non active variety which included the more typical things such as colds and flus, as well as broken bones and sprains, cuts and abrasions, all easy to treat from a medical standpoint. As I continued reviewing the records, I began to realise that to be a good doctor for the Joes, I would need to be prepared for just about anything. My medical knowledge would certainly be pushed to the limits. It gave me a lot to think about. I looked forward to the challenges.

After lunch we were once again interrupted, this time by a Warrant Officer.

"Doc….Lifeline." One glance could see that he was worried and distraught. For one who was usually so put together, it was surprising. Even the beret perched on his head was askew.

"Hello Flint," Doc spoke calmly, "I've been expecting you." He rose from his chair without another word and handed the small packet of medicine to Flint who gaped in surprise. "For stomach and fever." Doc replied. "Tell Lady Jaye to come see me if it gets worse, though I don't know why I bother," he rubbed his chin as he frowned. "We both know she won't come."

I was finally putting one and one and one together and making three. I slowly raised an eyebrow as it all became crystal clear. Once again, I had to admit Doc was very good at what he did.

The tension seemed to drain out of Flint. He chuckled as he looked at the package in his hand. "No, she won't," he agreed with a laugh. Then he reached up and straightened his beret. He was in control once again.

"I don't know how you do it Doc, but thanks," he grinned.

Doc smiled slyly, "I have my ways."

"That you do, Doc," Flint laughed again heartily, slapping him on the back. "And believe me, we all appreciate it."

I watched Flint leave and then I just shook my head in disbelief. "Doc," I turned to him, "You…?"

"I know," he smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. "How do you think I have managed so far?"

The man was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I knew that if I was going to be even half as wise as he was, I still had a lot to learn. Laughing at myself, I realised I was looking forward to doing just that.

These Joes were definitely growing on me.

Doc looked over at me with a wide grin, reading me like a book, "You're learning, Son," he said.

I smiled, agreeing whole heartedly. I was finally starting to feel like a Joe.


	8. Chapter 8

_Once again, THANK YOU for following along. I am enjoying getting to know Lifeline in this story. I hope you are, too. Things are definitely looking up for him right now and this chapter leaves him feeling pretty confident. New difficulties and challenges are on the horizon,_ _however. Ha Ha! (evil laugh!) Please read and review._

* * *

I was extremely satisfied. His bone had healed up nicely. "Alright Bazooka, Let's get this thing off of you," I said lightly. I was soon ready to begin the messy process of cutting off his cast.

He nodded in growing excitement.

The saw hummed to life instantly as I flipped on the switch. I hid my smile as I watched Bazooka's eyes widen in fright. I was in familiar territory now. I made a show of pressing my finger against the vibrating blade, proving to him that the saw would only cut the cast and not his leg. He relaxed visibly. Then, biting my bottom lip in concentration, I finally set to work. After several minutes, I completed the cut and was able to pry the cast open. Bazooka carefully lifted his leg free.

Alpine moved forward eagerly. "How ya feeling, Bazook?"

"Good," he wiggled his toes and slowly bent and his leg at the knee.

"Alright, nice and easy," I said as I helped him slide to the edge of the exam table, "Let's get you up on your feet."

Bazooka planted his feet on the floor gingerly, carefully testing his full weight. A huge grin of surprise broke out across his face, "It doesn't hurt."

"Wonderful! How about we go and celebrate?" Alpine gave a laugh.

"Can we get ice cream?"

"Sure thing, Buddy. Anything you want."

"I want Rocky Road."

"You got it, Pal," Alpine patted him on the back, grinning happily.

Before leaving, Bazooka turned back to me, wearing an enormous smile, "Thank you…."

"You're welcome," I replied amiably, "But no more repelling from base buildings, Ok?," I turned to Alpine next. "That goes for you, too," I shook my finger at them both threateningly and tried my best to glare.

"Ok," they both burst into laughter, "We promise."

I guess I wasn't too convincing.

The Joe team continued to surprise me, though really, I suppose by now it shouldn't have. Despite all their personalty quirks and differences, and believe me there were many, the Joes got along well with each other. Really well. They weren't just teammates who worked side by side. They were much more.

"Doc," I began later, chewing on the end of my pen, "What is it about being a Joe Team Member? I mean, from what I've seen, some of the guys here are pretty tight." I thought of Gung Ho and Roadblock, and the group of guys in the motor pool and smiled. And then there were others. How could I forget the women's unabashed loyalty to one another. "In fact," I continued my train of thought, "they sort of remind me of when my extended family gets together for the holidays. You know what I mean?"

"I know," Doc smiled fondly, "That's the Joes."

"What do you mean?," I pressed.

"Just what you said," he chuckled knowingly at my puzzled expression, "The Joes _are_ family."

I frowned, even more confused.

"Look," he said pointedly, gazing at me over the rim of his yellow glasses, "being a Joe is not just a job or a career for these guys …or women. They don't just go in each day, punch a time card and punch out at the end of the day. Think about it. These guys are out there risking there lives every single day. Under that kind of stress, you learn to depend on one another. You have to. With that kind of dependence and trust naturally comes a deeper relationship. I know. I have been a Joe longer than most," he said, reminding me once again that I was still a new guy.

I looked at him carefully, my pen at rest in my hand. My thoughts ran back to Alpine and Bazooka, more like brothers than fellow soldiers. Then they flitted to they first time I had met Lady Jaye, when she had visited with Roadblock and Gung Ho in the infirmary. Those two had teased her mercilessly and she had teased them right back, behaving much like my own younger sister. And then those other relationships. There were Scarlet and Duke…hmmm…more than friends? And what about Lady Jaye and Flint? I didn't exist in a bubble, I had heard the rumors. I guess time alone would tell about those four. I then thought about the injuries I had seen and treated so far, the past injuries I had read in the Joe medical files, the fact that Doc hadn't had an extended vacation for two years, until I came along.

No, life as a Joe was clearly not easy.

The more I thought about it the more I realised Doc was right. It was only natural that the Joes would grow close to one another.

Like a family, I mused.

And with the passing of time, one could hope,

My family.

The infirmary was becoming quiet once again. Gung Ho had already been discharged with a stern warning to take it easy. I was sure, by his lack of attention and easy going nature, that my words had simply gone in one ear and out the other. At least he left wearing a huge grin.

Ripcord was scheduled to be released later in the day. I was already preparing to do the final check up before his discharge. Doc had followed me over and was quietly chatting with the paratrooper as I examined his leg.

He looked over my shoulder at the pink scar. "Nice job," he said, patting me on the back.

"Thanks," I smiled appreciatively. It meant a lot knowing that Doc approved of my work.

Ripcord checked out fine so I signed his release from the hospital. He still walked with a slight limp but was on his way to complete recovery.

"No PT for awhile, until completely healed," I reminded him. "Light duty only. And definitely no jumping out of planes until cleared."

"OK, Dad," he laughed.

Doc let out a snort behind me. I threw up my hands in a mock gesture. It was always the same. No one ever listened to me. "Why do I even bother?" I muttered, but I couldn't keep the grin off my face.


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you again for reading and reviewing! I DO appreciate it!_

 _In this chapter, Lifeline gets a bit of an eye opener as he treats one of our favourite Joes._

 _English/Gaelic translations : (amazing what you can find online...I hope these are correct, you can never be too sure with the internet.)_

 _Go n-ithe an cat thu is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat (May you be eaten by a cat that will be eaten by the devil)_

 _Titim gan eiri ort (May you fall down and never rise again)_

 _Imeacht gan teacht ort (May you leave and never come back)_

* * *

The sounds of angry voices grew louder. I sat up with a start, casting a mystified glance toward the door. I then turned to Doc, wondering if this was something he had been expecting. By the surprised look on his face, I don't think it was. He had heard it, like me, and whatever it was, he wasn't happy about it. In fact, he looked like he had just swallowed a sour grape. Now, I was left wondering what he knew that I didn't. I didn't have to wait long for an answer.

Four Greenshirts walked in carrying another unconscious Greenshirt between them. Doc quickly ushered them in, already beginning his examination of the unconscious man.

A moment later, a very angry and red faced Lady Jaye was being dragged in by a bloody nosed, equally angry, Warrant Officer.

"I told you…, I'm NOT going," she yelled, trying unsuccessfully to pull her arm free from his grasp.

"I don't think you have much of a choice," he growled.

"Go n-ithe an cat thu is go n-ithe an diabhal an CAT!"

Doc looked up from the soldier he was treating to me. His mouth curved into a slow grin as he nodded in their direction. "Those two are yours," he chuckled. Then he went back to _his_ patient, still wearing his smug grin.

I heaved a huge sigh and headed toward _my_ patients. As I approached, Lady Jaye's eyes narrowed. She was already turning toward the exit when Flint firmly grabbed hold of her shoulder.

"You're not going anywhere," he hissed in her ear.

 _This_ was going to be interesting.

The GI Joe Team is military strike force and the reality is that they are trained to kill. They always have to be at the top of their game. The stakes are high. Kill or be killed. It's really a lose, lose situation in my opinion. And sometimes, when they practice or when they train, things happen…, accidents occur, teammates injure other teammates, things don't go the way they are planned and Joes end up in our infirmary, under our care.

I know. I'm a pacifist. It's true I refuse to pick up a weapon. And yet, somehow I made the decision to be a member of this team. What can I say? They do what they do so others can sleep peacefully at night. I understand that. I even support that. Maybe I won't be the one to pull the trigger, but I will make sure my teammates have a chance at recovery when they are injured. I owe them that much. They willingly risk their lives for others. Someone's got to support them. That's where I come in.

Just because I'm a pacifist doesn't mean I'd be afraid to die for others. In fact, the opposite is true. I would willingly dodge bullets to drag someone out of the line of fire. But, I will not pick up a gun and turn it on another. I will not take a life. I refuse. My job is to save lives, to help those who are injured, to to give them a chance at the best recovery possible. But, sometimes my patients don't see it that way. Sometimes they don't want my help. Sometimes, they are just plain stubborn.

"Lady Jaye, sit still," I was quickly losing patience. I knew she had misgivings about hospitals, but this was getting ridiculous.

She continued to eye me warily. "It's fine, really," she smiled brightly, cradling her wrist.

"Sorry, won't work," I said blandly, "Scarlet tried the same thing."

The smile slid off her face, quickly replaced by a pout.

"Come on, I just want to take a look," I coaxed, slowly reaching for her arm.

"Titim gan teacht ort!" she glared at me, twisting away from my reach.

"Lady Jaye, let me see your wrist," my voice rose in anger.

"Imeacht gan teacht oft! "

Oh, why couldn't she just stick to plain English? "Jaye, we need to get an X-ray," I gritted my teeth.

"No, we don't."

"Yes, we do."

And so it continued until Doc finished with his patient and came over. He was not pleased. She took one look at his dark face and swallowed, her brown eyes slowly widening.

Scarlet and Snake Eyes had been leading a hand to hand combat training lesson. By the time it was over, we were treating a broken wrist, a broken nose, and one slight concussion. Lady Jaye had the broken wrist, Flint the broken nose. And before you even ask, no they were not sparring with one another. Lady Jaye was paired up with Roadblock, while Flint was matched with Beach Head. The concussion happened to a Greenshirt who walked into a flag pole watching the sparring matches instead of where he was going.

In the case of Lady Jaye, Roadblock had grabbed her wrist when she tried to block and twisted it. It snapped. Lady Jaye had instantly cried out and fallen to her knees, her face twisted in pain as she cradled the injured arm. Flint's head whipped around at her cry, his concern for her distracting him from his present match with Beach Head. As a result, he caught the full brunt of Beach Head's right hook in his face. Flint fell to the mat hard, slightly dazed, his nose broken. But, even with blood running down his face, he seemed more concerned with Jaye's condition than his own. He was up and by her side within seconds, with at least half of the team right behind him.

Needless to say, Roadblock is feeling terrible about it. Word is that he's already in the kitchen cooking batches of his famous brownies, eclairs and cookies as a guilt offering.

Beach Head, however, is not feeling the same guilt as Roadblock. I personally think he finds it all quite humorous. Obviously, there is no love lost between Beach Head and Flint. They are probably just too similar in their personalities. They respect each other's abilities but that is about as far as it goes. I've known brothers like that.

I turned my gaze back to Lady Jaye and held out my hand, "Let's go," I said firmly.

She swept her eyes to the other table where Doc was now busy cleaning up Flint's face and then came to rest on my hand. She stared at it a minute. "I can manage," she mumbled as she slid off the exam table. We walked to the X-ray room, Lady Jaye leading the way. I watched her closely. Her usual tanned skin was pale, the area around her eyes tight. I shook my head. More than likely, she was in a lot of pain but too stubborn to admit it.

She entered the small room sullenly. As I lay the heavy lead apron across her body, she shot icy daggers at me, refusing to say a word. Taking the X-ray took only a few minutes. Sure enough the wrist was broken and I told her so.

"We'll have to put it in a cast," I met her glare evenly. We returned to the exam room and I motioned for her to take a seat.

Her eyes flashed angrily as she sat down, but she remained silent. Her refusal to speak was beginning to wear on my nerves.

Doc had just finished bandaging Flint's nose and he came over, laying a calming hand on her shoulder. She relaxed slightly under his touch. I left them alone as I went to gather the casting materials. When I returned a few minutes later, her eyes were red and puffy and I realised, with a twinge of guilt, she had been crying. Maybe I had been a little too hard on her.

Lady Jaye is nothing if not proud so I pretended not to notice her damp cheeks or over bright eyes. In fact, I realised both were behaving as if nothing had happened, though Flint _was_ a wee bit overprotective. I was reminded of the rumours I had heard about those two. Now, as I see the way he hovers around her, I realise there must be some truth to them.

I placed the cast on her wrist with a gentle touch. I didn't want to hurt her. She never spoke, never broke her icy gaze from my face. If looks could kill, I would have died fifty times by now.

I saw Doc in the corner, laughing at me. I shot an evil glare in his direction, trying to think up creative ways to get back at him later.

I finally finished and met her eyes once again. "You can go now," I said.

She fumed as she hopped off the table.

Flint wrapped an arm around her and led her to the door. In his concern, he was taking extra care around her injured wrist. I watched them go, my mind a jumble of confused thoughts.

I can't say it wasn't an interesting experience. Honestly, though, I was happy to see them go. I'd rather face a whole troop of Cobra, alone, than one more minute with Lady Jaye. I wondered briefly about her aversion to hospitals. Stubborn Joe woman. She almost has me rethinking my stand on pacifism. Almost.

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

The minute they were completely out of sight, I went to hunt down Doc. If anyone could handle her, it was him. I couldn't wait to find out what hold he had on Lady Jaye.

He just laughed his deep sonorous laugh when I asked. "I always threaten to sedate her with my largest needle. I've only had to do it a few times. Sedate, I mean. Not the needle," his eyes twinkled mischievously.

 _Only_ …a few? My eyes widened. I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to believe him or not.

"You can imagine how well she took it," he continued, ignoring my expression. "Now, usually just the threat of it works." We both laughed, though mine was more of the nervous kind. I was still wondering if he was pulling my leg.

Did he really sedate her? _A few times_? _You mean once wasn't enough?_ Remembering the hostility in her flashing eyes, I'm not sure if I'd have the courage to try it even once.


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you! Thank you for reading!_

 _As a kid, I always loved Mutt and Junkyard. They don't get to appear in a lot of fanfic stories so I thought I'd dedicate a chapter all to them. Hope you enjoy._

 _Please Read and Review! I love to read your comments._

* * *

The phone rang, interrupting the unusually quiet and slow afternoon. About time, I laughed to myself. I was actually starting to get bored.

"Doc, here," he picked up the phone.

"Uh huh. Yes, Mutt….He is?" Doc's brow furrowed in concern.

I listened to this side of the conversation wondering what they were talking about. And who was Mutt? I mentally ticked off the list of Joes I had already met. Mutt was not among them.

"OK. I understand," Doc spoke again. "Bring him right over," he hung up the phone.

"Who was that?," I asked.

"Mutt."

"Mutt?," I repeated.

"The Joe team's K-9 handler."

"Oh? What's up?"

"He's bringing Junkyard over. He hurt his foot."

Junkyard? I thought quickly. I didn't remember meeting a Joe by that name, either. "Should I get a wheelchair ready?," I asked Doc.

"No," he looked at me strangely, "Mutt will carry him."

"Carry him?"

"Um, yes," his lips twitched.

I had realised very quickly that Doc was never one to give information casually. I guess you could say it goes with the territory. Doctors move in a world of patient trust and confidentiality. I can understand this because I'm a doctor as well. This kind of discretion tends to spill over into ordinary life and conversation. It sometimes makes it difficult to talk about things in an ordinary way. Thankfully, whatever I don't get through conversation, I eventually get through experience. I guess that's really what Doc means when he tells me, "You'll learn." Sometimes, I just wish it didn't have to be the hard way.

Before long, a man wearing a green shirt and matching green cargo pants arrived. In his arms, he held a fully grown Rottweiler. Now, I was really confused.

"That's Mutt?," I asked, pointing to the dog.

"No, that's Junkyard," Doc said quickly.

Mutt turned on me like a protective mother bear, bearing his teeth, "Junk ain't no mutt."

Did that man just growl? My eyes widened and I took a step back. "No, of course not," I stammered and then added quickly, "He's a very fine looking Rottweiler."

Mutt continued to glare at me. His thick black beard and bushy eyebrows gave him an almost wild appearance. I felt pinned by his fierce stare, unable to speak or move. I finally gave Doc a pleading look.

"Mutt, bring him over here," Doc motioned, a slight smile on his face.

Junkyard whined softly.

"Easy now, boy," Mutt spoke gently as he placed him on the exam table.

Junkyard followed Doc's every movement with liquid brown eyes, bright and eager. Doc smiled at him affectionately. He reached one hand around to scratch behind Junkyard's soft ear working his way down to scratch under his chin. Junkyard yipped softly as he wriggled and tried to lick Doc's hand.

"I know boy," Doc chuckled, "I've missed you, too." He alternately rubbed and patted his warm, furry back. Junkyard excitedly licked at his ear, nearly upsetting Doc's glasses. "Enough, Enough," Doc laughed, setting them firmly back in place. Then he turned to Mutt.

"So, which foot was it?" he asked, wiping the side of his face with a grin.

"That one," Mutt pointed worriedly to a front paw. "See the blood?"

"Yes…," Doc muttered, suddenly full of concern. His grin slipped. "Sorry boy," he turned to Junkyard, "I'll try not to hurt you…" He took the injured paw carefully and gently spread out his toes. A small ribbon of blood pooled and dripped onto the table. Junkyard whined and tried to pull his paw out of Doc's hand.

"Easy, boy…" Doc murmured softly, patting him gently.

"How is it?" Mutt asked anxiously.

Doc squinted his eyes, examining the wound carefully. "Well, it looks like he's going to need a stitch or two. "Sorry big fella," he again spoke soothingly to the large Rottweiler.

"Don't worry, you'll be just fine, boy," Mutt consoled him softly, his eyes tight with worry.

I made sure everything was ready for the procedure. The curved needle and pliers, scissors and clamps were all laid out on the sterilised tray. Meanwhile, Doc carefully washed his hands and pulled on his surgical gloves. Speaking softly and moving slowly he gently tended Junkyard's wound. I quietly observed from over his shoulder. Junkyard really surprised me. He sat still throughout the whole procedure, only flinching when Doc inserted the needle into his paw, injecting the lidocaine to numb the area.

After he had knotted and trimmed the last stitch, Doc wrapped the paw in a white bandage to protect it from getting dirty and infected. He handed Mutt some liquid antibiotics to mix in his food. "Twice a day for four days."

"Thanks Doc," Mutt smiled, relieved that it was all over. "Come on boy," he picked him up gently, "Let's go home."

"Wait, don't forget his Milk Bones…," Doc cried suddenly, handing the paper bag to Mutt. "I like to reward my patients for being good," he explained sheepishly.

"He _was_ a good boy, wasn't he?" Mutt grinned, awkwardly trying to balance Doc's bag under his chin as he pressed it against Junkyard. "Thanks again, Doc. Later."

Junkyard turned his head toward Doc and gave one last sharp bark and wag of his stump tail.

"You're welcome," Doc's smiling eyes following them as they left.

I waited until they were out of ear shot before commenting jokingly, "I didn't realise being a Veterinarian was part of my job description."

Doc raised his eyebrows at me. "That dog behaves better than some of the human patients I have treated."

My face paled slightly, remembering some of my recent patients. He was certainly right about that. "So," I continued lightly, "What other animals do we treat here?" I honestly thought he'd just mention another dog or two and maybe a cat.

"Well," Doc's face softened and he smiled fondly, "There's only four. That's why the Joes don't have a resident Veterinarian," he explained. "In addition to Junkyard, we have Polly. He's a bad-mouthed parrot that belongs to Shipwreck."

"A what…?

"And then there's Timber. He's a wolf that belongs to Snake Eyes…"

"Wolf?" My voice came out in a strangled choke, "and … Snake Eyes?" Who was that?

"And Freedom, our Bald Eagle," he continued, "He belongs to Spirit."

"Bald Eagle?" My mouth dropped completely open. "Spirit? …You're joking, right?" A parrot, a wolf and a Bald Eagle? It sounded more like a zoo than a military base.

He eyed me severely, "Those four happen to be some of my favourite patients. And when they are sick or injured, it's our job to take care of them."

"But…" I stammered, tripping over my tongue, "They're animals….and we're doctors."

Doc's face hardened. "Those four pull more than their share of weight around here. They are as much of a Joe as you or I or anyone else on this team."

"But…," I began to protest and then seeing the stern look on Doc's face, gave up. A sigh escaped my lips.

Welcome to the Joe Zoo.

Doc must have read my face because he suddenly smiled. "Follow me," he motioned.

He led me to a cupboard in the back of the medicine closet. "What I am about to show you stays here and goes no further," he warned sternly.

I nodded, slightly nervous. Just what was he going to show me?

"My reward cabinet," he grinned.

 _His what?_

As he opened the door, my mouth dropped open in disbelief. I saw boxes of Milk Bones, unsalted saltine crackers, bags of sunflower seeds and beef jerky. In the far right corner, almost buried under the other treats, was a very small container of Tootsie pops.

"Like I said before," he eyed me with a humorous glint in his eye, "I like to reward my patients for being good.…and some are better than others."

I laughed out loud, dragging a hand through my short hair. "Alright Doc," I nodded in amusement. "Fine, you win. So where can I get a medical book on how to treat Bald Eagles?" I raised my eyebrows.

He smiled smugly and reached into the back of the closet, pulling out a thick, heavy book. Slapping it against my chest, he laughed, "Right here."

I looked down at the title, Caring for the Eagle: Modern Treatments and Medical Procedures.

"Okay…," I smiled. I could feel Doc watching me closely. What I didn't tell him was that I had already added "For Dummies" to the end of the title.

I finally looked up at him with a huge grin plastered to my face.

I guess now I'm a Joe Veterinarian.


	11. Chapter 11

_Thanks again for reading. This chapter is just a quick nod of appreciation for the original Sunbow writers. Short, sweet and simple._

 _Story comes from Operation Doomsday._

* * *

It finally happened. I was sent out alone on my first real field assignment. Just me, no Doc. One day I am in the infirmary removing a cast from a belligerent Lady Jaye and the next, I'm on assignment with her. The demands of this job never cease to amaze me.

It was agreed that Doc would stay at the Pit while I went. He seemed to be relieved. I think maybe it had something to do with the team leading it. Anyway, I was pretty excited. Granted, it didn't quite end how I thought it would.

I was working under Flint and Lady Jaye, who were the team leaders. I have no more doubts about them. Those two _are_ close but that's another story. Anyway, they led the team in, destroyed the Doomsday machine, and got out. It almost looked like I wasn't going to have anything to do. Then some trouble arose when the rest of the team ran into BATs. NO ONE likes BATs. Battle Android Troopers. They have got to be the worst things Cobra has ever come up with. The things just don't quit, practically indestructible, and to the Joes…they can be quite deadly.

I got to save the day, sort of. One of those BATs, only partially disabled, reached up and grabbed a hold of Shipwreck's leg as he swam by and wouldn't let go. They had to shoot the arm off of it before Shipwreck could swim away. By the time they all arrived back to the transport, Shipwreck was limping around and cursing a blue streak with this metal hand clamped tightly to his leg. My job? I got to cut the arm off of Shipwreck. Let me tell you, I have never seen a happier patient. Once the arm was off, he jumped up and did a little sailor jig, right there, in front of everyone. I think my shoulders are still black and blue from all the good natured slaps I received from my teammates.

Let me tell you, it felt wonderful.


	12. Chapter 12

_Many thanks to all those following along! Lifeline is beginning to discover that he is a lot tougher than he thought._

 _Please read and review!_

* * *

I guess I did alright on that last solo assignment because here I am again with another mission. Flint requested me personally this time, right at the top of his list. Well, right under Lady Jaye. Still, it's enough to make this Joe medic feel proud.

When I told Doc about my new assignment, he just leaned back in his big chair and stared up at me. "Flint and Lady Jaye, huh?," he asked, his black eyes twinkling.

"Um.., yes."

His face split into a grin, "You think you can handle it?," he teased.

"No problem," I quipped, then watched as his face morphed in surprise, "I've already packed my largest needle."

He let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "You've definitely got the makings of a fine Joe doctor."

"Thanks, Doc," I grinned sheepishly, "I've learn from the best."

We stared at one another awkwardly for a minute before he spoke again, "Stay safe out there, Son." Doc always had a way of making me feel like part of the family.

Doc would be remaining at the Pit again, no doubt taking excellent care of the Joes on base while I went on assignment, doing my best to do the same. In the Pit or on a mission, between the two of us, we make sure our Joes always receive the best care possible. I have to admit, Doc and I make a good team.

I headed out with Flint's team early the next morning.

It's my first gritty combat mission, and yes, I'm a little nervous. It's hard not to be when the very air around me is filled with the whizzing of bullets. With the number of prominent red crosses I've hung all over my tent, they can't help but see me. But, I still find myself praying that a stray bullet won't make its way over.

My so called field hospital, not much more than a small tent really, is standing bravely to the side while the two armies engage each other. It seems like Cobra and the Joes are always at each other's throat.

A handful of medics are inside treating the couple of Greenshirts who have already managed to get wounded. We are all keeping our eyes and ears open for more. It's a gruelling job, waiting for someone to be injured so we can go rescue them. I crouch to the side scanning the battle, my eyes searching for anyone in need of medical assistance.

Then I hear it, rising above the sound of bullets and explosives, the words to which every medic has been trained to react, "Man Down!"

Instantly, I am on my feet, running and ducking on to the field of fire. I have no thought for my own safety as I drag the injured person out of harm's way. Then, and only then, do I take a look. It's another Greenshirt, just a pale, wide eyed, frightened kid. He even has freckles.

People sometimes ask why I choose to be a Pacifist. I'll tell you why. It's because whether they're wearing Joe green or Cobra blue, there are always kids like that on both sides. It's one of the harsh realities of war.

"It's going to Ok," I assure him, "You're going to be just fine." And he will.

He's bleeding out of his thigh. We haul him into the infirmary tent and lay him on a bed. A few stitches, some antibiotics and a shot of painkiller later and he's quietly resting. This battle may be over for him but for us medics, the work continues.

Soon after, from the narrow flap of the tent door, I see an unfamiliar Joe hauling a kicking and struggling Cover Girl in his arms, making a beeline for my direction. I intercept them just outside my tent.

"Let go of me, Dusty!" Cover Girl gasps, trying to wriggle and push her way free from his arms. "I tell you I'm…fine."

So this was Dusty, I mused, as I studied him with interest. This was my first time to meet the sandy haired Desert Trooper. I remember reading through his medical file. It made quite an impression on me. His records included treatment for severe exposure and dehydration, as well as snake bite and scorpion sting. Definitely not your everyday, run of the mill, type of injuries.

"What happened?," I asked, returning my attention to Cover Girl.

"Cover Girl was blown out of her tank," Dusty spoke with a pleasant southern drawl. "I saw it happen. She was out cold when I got to her, but she woke up on the way here."

I notice there's a small cut on her forehead, her eyes slightly unfocused.

She twisted her head and shot Dusty a glare, "I'm just fine, Dusty," she growled, "You can put me down, now."

"Alrighty then,…just take it easy, Ok?" He set her carefully on her feet then looked over to me. His eyes were filled with concern.

"It's just a scratch," I tell him, "but probably a mild concussion. I'll take it from here."

After deflecting multiple protests, I send him back to the front and help Cover Girl into the medical tent. She is still putting up a fuss, complaining and making threats. She doesn't want to be checked out and insists that she is fine, despite having telltale symptoms of a concussion, including suffering from an obvious headache. What is it with these Joe women anyway? It's almost like they refuse to admit when they are injured or in pain.

I dig in my heels and hold my ground. There's no Doc here so she can't ignore me this time.

We finally get her into a bed and then I give her a sedative, just a little one, just enough to knock her out for a couple hours. It's for her own good, really. Rest is the very best thing for her right now, to give her body a chance to heal.

Then I freeze.

My eyes widen in shock as I suddenly realise what I am doing. I can already see Doc laughing his head off at me, saying, "I told you so." I really hadn't wanted to believe the stories he shared with me, but he was right, just like he always is. In situations like this, the reality is, there isn't time to be tactful. A military medic has to be in a constant state of readiness. You don't get coffee breaks when you are on a battlefield and as long as the fighting around me continues, there is no moment of rest for me, nor will there be, until this is all over and we are back home at the Pit.

Glancing back over my shoulder, I try not to sigh as I see that Cover Girl is now resting peacefully. I can and will become just as hard nosed as any of these stubborn Joes, especially when it comes to their health and well being. I just want them to have the best possible care I can give. Is that too much to ask?

A couple more Green shirts have just arrived with shrapnel wounds. They are quickly taken care of by my medical staff. For minor injuries like these, I don't need to check on their work. I have full confidence in their abilities. It doesn't take long before their wounds are cleaned and bandaged.

Suddenly, I hear the sound of raised voices outside my tent. I recognise them almost immediately, Flint and Lady Jaye. Their voices are growing louder. I wearily close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. "Here we go, again," I groan.

"Just stop with the macho, Flint. You're injured. You're going to get it checked out. That's final," Lady Jaye's voice rose in anger.

"I tell you I'm fine! I need to be back out there. I have a job to do!," Flint's gruff voice yelled back.

"Not till ye get it taken care of…" she continued, her accent becoming more pronounced.

"Jaye, don't you tell me what to do. I'm your…"

"Don't ye dare try pulling rank on me, ye…thrawn-headed Warrant Officer!" she yelled. In her anger, Jaye began spouting Gaelic insults at Flint.

Flint flung the tent flap to the side as he stormed in. His face was a mask of fury. Lady Jaye had a tight grip on his arm, knuckles white with effort as she physically pushed him in front of her. Her face was as red as his. They were in the middle of another one of their infamous fights. By the looks of it though, Jaye has won this round. I can see a hint of a sparkle in her dark flashing eyes. She's one tough lady. Reminder to self, never get into it with Lady Jaye. She could probably rip my head off. Literally.

For one who is so adamant about seeing doctors, she sure keeps a different standard for others. I won't even try to make sense of that one.

A small red patch is spreading on his arm. Bullet wound I automatically assess, probably flesh only since he's moving it freely. In an attempt to diffuse the situation, I eyed his arm pointedly, "If you want to stay upright on your feet you'd better let me wrap that up for you."

Flint instantly turned his fierce eyes on me in challenge. There's a reason Flint is a Field Commander. He carries himself with a sense of leadership and authority that has had many fellow soldiers backing down.

Nevertheless, I met his glare cooly and stood my ground.

"See, Flint, I was right," Lady Jaye was suddenly near tears.

He turned back to her and for a moment, his eyes softened.

"The sooner I get this done, the sooner you can get back out there," I said quietly, but firmly.

He stared at me, a glint of humour flashed through his eyes. "Fine," he grumbled, with an upturned corner of his mouth, "Just make it quick."

He hopped on a table, twisting so I'd have easy access to his arm. "Been hanging around Doc too long," I heard him mutter under his breath.

I bit my bottom lip,…hard.

He was patient while I patched him up but the second I had finished, he jumped up in a hurry, probably a little too quickly because he instantly swayed on his feet. Lady Jaye grabbed him by the arm to steady him. He locked his eyes with hers. She waited, not breaking the eye contact until his feet were steady under him. Then, she slowly released him.

"Ok, let's go," he told her quietly as he took her hand and led her out the door of the tent, back to the fighting at the front. She simply nodded. As always, she was right beside him.


	13. Chapter 13

_Again, thank you for reading and reviewing! Lifeline is learning more about the Joes than he probably wants to know...as well as earning respect, and making friends on the team. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

It wasn't easy, but Flint doggedly led the Joes, finally succeeding in driving Cobra back and propelling the Joes forward to victory.

"Yo Joe!" the jubilant cry echoed from group to group throughout the camp, informing everyone that the battle was over.

For me, in my small medical tent away from the front and the fighting, there was less celebration. I still had numerous casualties to tend, and though most were minor, I had no doubt there would be more to come.

Doc had warned me that working with Flint would not be easy and after just two missions, I had to agree. But, on the flip side, I was also beginning to have some understanding of just what makes up this Joe Third in Command. Even with the frequent display of fireworks between he and Lady Jaye, I admit I was impressed by his range of talents and abilities. I guess you could say he was growing on me.

Flint is an excellent soldier and an even better Field Commander. He takes the weight of responsibility for each and every soldier under him seriously and makes it his priority to bring every man and woman home. No one is expendable. As a medic, I can fully appreciate that. Flint has taken the motto, "Never leave a Joe behind," to the highest level.

Once the remaining Cobra stragglers had been rounded up and the all clear had been sounded, Flint immediately sent all able-bodied to sweep the field for missing Joes. Flint was nothing if not thorough. Only when the search had been completed and everyone accounted for, did we begin preparations for our return to the Pit. I remained until the last transport, making sure all the injured were comfortably boarded before me.

Once we were in the air and on the way back, Flint came over and sat down next to me. My eyebrows instantly rose in wariness as I began wracking my brain trying to figure out what I had done wrong.

"Hey, nothing like that," he laughed, reading my expression, "I just wanted to thank you for a doing a great job out there, for taking good care of the Joes," he lay a warm hand on my shoulder, grinning that goofy lopsided grin of his, "You make Doc proud."

I stared at him, open mouthed. That was not at all what I had been expecting. "Thanks," I managed to stammer.

"You're welcome," he chuckled softly and nodded, leaving as quickly as he had come. As I watched him make his way back to a waiting Lady Jaye, I suddenly realised, with twinge of sadness, that he still didn't see me as a Joe. I was just a medic working with Doc.

When we returned to the Pit, Doc was there on the tarmac waiting as I de-boarded the plane. He gave me one of his patented knowing grins, and his eyes lit up teasingly, "Did you have to use the needle," he asked.

I laughed out loud, "Almost."

He slapped me on the back so hard I nearly stumbled. I've never been so glad to come back to the Pit. It was like being welcomed home.

Back in the infirmary, Doc and I worked side by side, caring for those who had been injured. We changed soiled bandages, removed stitches, administered shots, and inserted IV's. Under our careful ministrations, our patients were recovering quickly. In fact, already the majority of the injured had returned to their duties with the rest well on their way. Even Cover Girl was already back to tearing apart engines in the Motor Pool after her concussion.

She showed up unexpectedly in the infirmary this morning, wearing those same old, navy blue coveralls, covered head to toe in engine grease. Her face was lit up in a brilliant smile. I leaned back in my chair and looked up at her. I couldn't help but smile back.

"I just wanted to thank you for putting up with my stubbornness," she giggled, "and...I brought this for you." She handed me a huge wrench with a blue ribbon tied around the handle.

"Thank you," I said, slightly confused.

"Next time just knock me over the head and be done with it," she laughed.

The clang of metal on hard tile made me jump. In my surprise, I had nearly dropped the thing on my foot. Coming from the room next door, I suddenly heard Doc's deep rumbling laugh.

My cheeks heated, realizing he had been listening. "Ever heard of something called privacy," I yelled futily.

"Not among the Joes," Doc yelled back as Cover Girl gave a snort and the two of them burst into even more uncontrollable laughter.

Listening to their contagious roars, I finally gave in, my own laughter soon mingling with theirs. You know what they say, "if you can't beat them, join them." In the Joe world, it's more like a matter of survival.

That afternoon, Doc received orders for a new mission. I must confess I was perfectly happy to sit this one out. Running the infirmary sounded like a cake walk compared to my last two field assignments. I should have known better, though, and expected the unexpected, especially when dealing with America's Elite.

While we had been busy battling Cobra in Europe, more Joes were scattered on assignment in other parts of the world.

Just this morning, a Joe rescue team rushed Snake Eyes into my infirmary. As usual, I was the last to be informed. Snake Eyes had been off on one of his highly classified, dangerous missions that no one talks about. The man is a ninja believe it or not, deadly and dangerous. He's the kind of guy that keeps Cobra up a night, the kind of guy who appears in their nightmares. But Cobra has a ninja, too. Storm Shadow. And unbelievably, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow trained together as students in their youth. At one time, I've been told, they were even closer than brothers.

Snake Eyes ran into Storm Shadow on this mission and when those two meet, it's like the rest of the world ceases to exist. It's only them. And whenever they meet, both end up wearing new scars. This time was no different.

Snake Eyes returned with heavy blood loss due to multiple knife wounds and other injuries. Based on the toxins found in his blood, it looked like Storm Shadow had used his favourite poisons as well. I simply administered the antidote. We always keep a few bottles on hand for just such a situation. Needless to say though, Snake Eyes was a mess. I had to surgically remove two throwing stars that had been deeply embedded in his right thigh muscle. Meanwhile, his left arm had been completely immobilised by a needle stabbed into the pressure point in his shoulder. I guess it's not enough for them to just kill each other, they have to take it to the next level, to do it with an almost chilling precision. There was another long gash from some bladed weapon along his arm requiring 12 stitches as well as multiple other smaller and less serious lacerations and puncture wounds. I worked on him for hours.

These ninjas certainly take the "art" of war to the next level.

Those who rescued Snake Eyes said they found Storm Shadow in a similar condition. The Cobra Troopers hauling him out simply fired off a cheeky salute while the Joes were carrying out Snake Eyes. I guess it's what you have to expect when you have ninjas on the team.

Snake Eyes was unconscious on arrival. He still is. I've given him a room all to himself. Now, with IV's sticking out of him and hooked up to various monitors giving off soft periodic beeps, he is resting quietly. I've lowered the lights. In the semi darkness, he seems to be almost peaceful.

I was just about to leave when the door to the room opened and a slight figure stepped through. Not surprisingly, it's Scarlet. She entered quietly, like a shadow, silent and nearly invisible. She hasn't noticed me yet, sitting quietly in my corner, scribbling down my last minute notes. Her enormous blue eyes, bright with unshed tears, are locked on Snake Eyes' unmoving form.

I've heard she trains with Snake Eyes and though not a ninja, she is talented in martial arts and a deadly hand to hand combatant. As I watch her glide silently across the room, I can see why. Scarlet has earned not ony one black belt, but several, which is an impressive accomplishment. I know, having earned one in Aikido.

Scarlet came to a stop near Snake Eyes' bed, her eyes slowly taking everything in; the IV tubes, the wires, and then widened in surprise, lingering on his face. We had to remove his mask, leaving his facial disfigurement exposed. I know she is seeing everything; his pale skin, stitches, bruises and white bandages. Her lips begin to move silently as she counts the slow rise and fall of his chest.

Sensing that she needs to be alone, I am again about to leave when a sob shatters the quiet of the room. I look up just in time to see her quickly cover her face, stifling her cries.

At almost the same moment, Duke suddenly entered the room, pushing open the door and looking around worriedly. He glanced briefly at me then turned his attention entirely to Scarlet. I can tell by his expression that he knew he would find her here, and that she would be needing him.

Her cheeks are already damp with tears as he wraps his arms around her. She turns and buries her face in his chest, holding on tight.

"He's going to be Ok." Duke whispers, gently stroking her hair. But, from where I am, I can see he's not looking at Snake Eyes. He only has eyes for Scarlet.

"I…hope so…" she trembles, swallowing back another sob.

"Snakes is the toughest guy I've ever known, " he said firmly, confidently. "He _is_ going to be OK. I _know_ so."

She smiled a watery smile of thanks as she stepped out of his arms. Duke released her reluctantly. She then turned to Snake Eyes, still unconscious on his bed. She reached over and made contact, laying a gentle hand on his chest.

I watched a shadow come over Duke's face. He moved beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist, both possessive and protective. But, she didn't see it. She never sees it. Still touching Snake Eyes, she leaned into Duke for strength. Her heart and life were tied up with both of them.

I have read the medical records of all the Joes. This man now laying in bed unconscious has more than once sacrificed himself to save Scarlet. The first time was early on in Joe history when he saved her from a burning helicopter, himself getting caught in the explosion. He survived but lost his voice, his face, his identity. The mask and uniform he now wore covered a badly scarred face and body and heart.

The second time Snake Eyes sacrificed himself to save Scarlet was when the two of them were sent to the arctic to gather radioactive crystals for a device called MASS. While they were inside the cave where the crystals were located, Cobra released a cloud of radiation. Snake Eyes closed himself in the chamber, trapping himself with the radioactive cloud to protect the others. Scarlet and the other Joes escaped, leaving him behind, thinking he was dead. It was a mystery how he showed up at the Pit later, unharmed, and radiation free. With no voice, he was never able to tell the whole story. All they understood was that a hermit had helped him.

I looked again at Scarlet. Her eyes were still locked on Snake Eyes' pale, unconscious face.

From where I stood, even I could see it. The lines between them were drawn. Duke was her anchor, her support, but Snake Eyes held her heart.

With that epiphany, I suddenly felt like the intruder. It wasn't right for me to stay any longer. I finally left the room, completely unnoticed, leaving the three of them together, alone.


	14. Chapter 14

_Thank you for reading and following along. I appreciate it! Love reading all your reviews! Thank you, thank you so much!_

 _Lifeline learns two valuable lessons about Ninjas in this chapter. (Seems like everyone else already knew but didn't bother to tell him.)_

 _A few Sunbow episodes are referenced:_

 _The Funhouse_

 _Excalibur_

 _20 Questions_

* * *

It's been kind of quiet and lonely around the infirmary with Doc away. Not much to do, either. Snake Eyes remains in ICU. He hasn't woken up yet. Every day, Scarlet comes to visit his bedside. Sometimes Duke is with her, sometimes not.

Snake Eyes is doing well, believe it or not. His vitals remain stable. I keep telling Scarlet that his body is just repairing itself while he sleeps and that he could wake up any minute. I promised to let her know just as soon as he did.

She looked up at me in surprise, then quickly lowered those blue eyes. "Thanks Lifeline," she said quietly, "Doc would do the same."

I smiled and touched her gently on the shoulder. "No problem," I said kindly. Then I returned to my office giving her time to be alone.

Snake Eyes' file lay open on my desk, for the moment forgotten as I looked over old charts again. Reading Joe medical files is a lot more entertaining than you would think, better by far than the daily paper. I know it's strange, but I really do enjoy rereading the more unusual cases. For example, did you know Dusty had to undergo a detoxification treatment after inhaling gas from a Cobra Commander faced balloon. He kept having hallucinations that teammates were morphing into snakes. Oh, and this is one of my favourites. On a mission in the British Isles, Quick Kick broke his leg and Spirit miraculously healed it. Then, later that same day, Quick Kick broke it again. I wish I could have been there to witness it. But then again, I wasn't even a Joe at the time. I began thumbing through some more files.

I was in the middle of reading again how Spirit, Cover Girl, Shipwreck, Alpine and Gung Ho had to be treated for exposure to laughing gas, tear gas _and_ itching gas.…when all of a sudden, alarms from the machines hooked up to Snake Eyes, monitoring his heart and regulating IV's, sounded simultaneously. I dropped the heavy file with a thud and rushed to his room, my heart beating rapidly in my chest.

The bed was empty, wires and pads for the heart monitor as well as IV lines, complete with catheters, were laid out in a straight line across it. I pressed my palm to the mattress. It was still warm.

"Snake Eyes?," I called softly, looking around. The light blue walls of the hospital room were supposed to encourage calm; I was anything but. "Where is he?" I turned to the Green Shirt medics pouring into the room behind me. "Has anyone see Snake Eyes?," I demanded.

They all shook their heads definitively. No one had seen him.

I can't believe my patient just got up and left. That has NEVER happened to me. Then another thought left me trembling. _What will Doc say?_ I was so busy with my own thoughts that I failed to notice that no one else in the room seemed to share my concern.

"All of you…, help me look for him. He can't have gotten far."

The Green Shirt medics began grumbling with one another, complaining.

"Move," I ordered frantically, quickly developing my own plan as they scattered in all directions.

I decided to start with the men's quarters first. On the way there, I ran into Dusty and Footloose. I asked if either of them had seen Snake Eyes. They both just stared at me like I had grown another head.

"You mean, like, he woke up?" Footloose finally asked, a broad grin forming, "That's awesome, man."

"Yes," I said dryly, "really awesome."

"You _do_ know you won't find him…," Dusty said, eyeing me with curiosity, "Why keep looking?"

Now it was my turn to stare. _Why? Snake Eyes is my patient, that's why._

They both just shook their heads as I continued my search, heading to the men's quarters.

"Shipwreck, " I called, seeing him come out of his room with Polly on his shoulder, "Have you seen Snake Eyes?"

"I thought he was in the infirmary…"

"He was…," I growled irritably, "Now, he's not." This was getting old fast.

"Oh. Sorry," he grinned suddenly, eyes twinkling under his thick brows, "But, no, I haven't _seen_ him anywhere."

"Haven't seen him…, haven't seen him…," Polly squawked loudly.

"Shut your beak, bird brain."

I ran into other Joes but no one could tell me anything. Ninja or not, how could one injured man just disappear, I wondered in astonishment. He had to be somewhere on base, but where?

Bazooka and Alpine were standing near the south wall of the mess. "Hey, have you two seen…" I started to say and then noticed the ropes and other climbing apparatus Alpine was unsuccessfully trying to hide behind them. "What are you guys doing?," I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"Climbing," Bazooka grinned happily, then succeeded in blowing huge bubble. I watched it pop in disbelief.

"Climbing? Didn't I already tell you guys not to climb the Pit buildings?," my voice rose in anger.

"No. Technically, you said "no repelling." _This_ is climbing," Alpine intoned, with slight grin. Then, seeing the black look on my face, his grin quickly faded.

I took a step closer and shook my fist in their faces, "I'm telling you two clowns, right now, NO more climbing or repelling or whatever at the Pit…Get it? I don't need to be setting any more broken bones."

"Okay…," they both grumbled, looking down at their feet. Disappointment was clearly on their faces.

"Good," I spun on my heels and headed for the mess.

As I left, I heard Bazooka's whisper behind me, "Hey Alpine, where are we gonna practice now?"

"I don't know. But don't worry, I'll think of something."

The mess was mostly empty when I entered, but I spotted Lady Jaye and Flint sitting at a table in the back corner, talking softly.

"Have either of you seen Snake Eyes?" I asked as I hurried over, "He's missing."

"He's awake?" Jaye turned to Flint and raised an eyebrow. Flint grinned and turned to me, "Sorry, Lifeline. Haven't _seen_ him." Jaye nodded emphatically in agreement. Her brown eyes sparkled impishly.

My own eyes narrowed briefly. I didn't know whether to believe them or not. "Could you let me know if you DO see him?," I pressed.

"Of course, Lifeline," Jaye grinned brightly.

I poked my head in the Recreation Room, next. No sign of Snake Eyes, but I saw something else that made me give pause. I had just recognised a handful of my Green Shirts in the back of the room playing pool.

I marched straight over to their table. "I thought I told you to look for Snake Eyes," I stared at them in disbelief.

"We were. We looked. We didn't see him," they shrugged.

"Why did you _stop_ looking?"

"Because NO ONE ever sees him," They all nodded in agreement.

I ground my teeth. "Get back to looking, all of you, NOW, or you'll be scrubbing bed pans for a week," I yelled. I could feel the heat rushing through my body.

"Yes sir…," their eyes widened as they scurried out the door. I think this was the first time I had lost my cool in front of them. Somehow, knowing that made me feel worse than before.

No one had seen Snake Eyes. No one could tell me anything. I tried the showers, no Snake Eyes…the practice range, nothing. It was like he had completely disappeared.

Finally, I could think of no where else to look. I returned back to the infirmary, tired, frustrated, hungry and defeated. I had just wasted my whole afternoon, and for what?

No one had seen Snake Eyes anywhere.

"Don't worry. He'll turn up," Duke had told me when I first started my search.

I wonder in retrospect, if I should have just listened to him.

I sank down in my office chair, thinking dark thoughts about what I'd like to do to Snake Eyes when I found him, Pacifist or not, when my eyes came to rest on his open chart, still on my desk. I stared at it a moment, hesitating, and then picked up my pen and began scribbling furiously, "I officially release Snake Eyes from the hospital," I wrote in his chart. I dotted my I's and crossed my T's with a flourish.

Doc arrived just at that moment. Somehow, I had missed the announcement of their return. I guess I had been too preoccupied with my search for Snake Eyes.

He had walked in quietly and was now looking over my shoulder. Reading the note I had just written in Snake Eyes' chart, he didn't say a thing. He just coughed a few times and then quickly turned away. He was obviously trying to hide a smile.

"Not you, too," I moaned, watching his shaking back. "Crazy Ninjas…," I grumbled as I pulled off my glasses and pinched the bridge of my nose. Then my stomach growled.

I had just learned two very important lessons. First lesson, ninja's don't stay in the hospital unless they are unconscious. Second lesson, ninjas are only _seen_ when they want to be seen.

I was told later that Scarlet had finally come across him meditating, cross-legged, in the training room.

 _How could I have forgotten to check the most obvious place?_

I wondered if Cobra had this much trouble with _their_ ninja.


	15. Chapter 15

_Lifeline and Doc work side by side with another one of my_ _favourite Joes as a kid. This chapter is dedicated to Dusty._

 _Note of authenticity: The Soldier's Medal is awarded to any person of the Armed Forces of the United States who distinguishes himself or herself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy._

* * *

A voice began speaking over the Emergency Com. Doc and I looked at each other with somber faces. That was never good.

"Patient inbound. Male. Multiple snake bites. Medevac ETA, 15 minutes."

Doc and I were on the helipad in five.

I glanced over at Doc. As usual, he was cool and collected, while inside, I felt like warm jello. It just didn't seem fair. Truth be told, I'd never treated snake bite before, wasn't sure what to look for, beyond the two obvious holes in the skin. I guess I was about to be thrown into another one of those Joe learning situations.

Our eyes swept the blue sky and were rewarded by the sun's rays bouncing off the side of the helicopter. We could see them a great distance off, a tiny point of light in the sky. I took a deep breath and readied myself. It wouldn't be long.

"Stand By!" Doc barked over his shoulder to the Green Shirt medics, completely unnecessarily since they were already standing as ready as we were. Maybe he was a just little nervous, after all, I grinned, suddenly feeling a little better.

The helicopter grew larger as it approached. First we heard it and then finally, we could feel the wind from the blades as it hovered above us, slowly sinking onto the landing.

As soon as the landing skids touched ground, Doc and I were running and ducking under the long silver blades circling above our heads.

I beat him to the door and slid it open with a bang. Doc was already climbing inside through the opening. I followed right behind, eyes darting around for our patient. I recognised the brown and tan camouflaged BDU's instantly. It was Dusty. Figures it'd be our desert trooper getting bit by snakes. Dusty is the Joe team's Desert Survival Specialist, and has been part of the team since almost the beginning of GI Joe.

It was common knowledge among the Joes that Dusty loved the desert. Having spent many years in the heat and sand, he had discovered it's greatest secret; that despite the searing heat of day, the frigid cold of night, the desert was a place teeming with hidden life. He was often heard describing it as "clean, pure and unforgiving." The desert presented both natural beauty and challenge, a place where one could watch the sun rise in brilliance through a clear blue sky, and where one mistake could mean the difference between life and death. Over and over Dusty had been drawn back to the desert. It was the place where he felt most alive.

"How are you feeling?," Doc asked. He was already wrapping a cuff around Dusty's upper arm. My gaze turned to study Dusty's face. It was covered with perspiration, his breathing laboured and difficult. His eyes were tight in obvious pain. But he was conscious.

"My lips are numb, Doc," He spoke between gasps with his soft southern drawl.

Doc nodded and frowned slightly. He started squeezing the bulb, inflating the cuff, murmuring softly to himself as he did so. Then, Doc went silent for a moment, listening for the faint beats of Dusty's heart. All I heard was the soft hiss of air escaping. As he jotted some numbers down, I took a look over his shoulder. 110/65. Dusty's blood pressure was dropping.

I watched Doc carefully, waiting for his instructions. I confess I was out of my league on this one.

"Hang in there, Dusty," Doc spoke gently. He pulled out a vial of anti venom, popped the cap off the syringe and carefully drew a measured dose. He flicked the side of he needle a few times and then and injected it deeply into Dusty's arm.

Dusty squeezed his eyes tight as Doc pushed the plunger. The liquid burned as it spread through his arm.

"Don't worry, Doc. You know we done been here before," he gasped hoarsely, and gave a small smile.

Dusty had been treated for snake bite more than once in the past, I already knew from his medical file.

"That we have, Son," Doc grinned, laying a warm hand on his shoulder.

Suddenly Dusty's face turned a pale green. "Doc…," he started, eyes widening…

Doc already had the bag ready as Dusty vomited. When his stomach had calmed, I carefully lowered his head back down, then grabbed a damp cloth to wipe his face and neck.

"Thanks," he grinned weakly.

"No problem," I smiled back. I realised how easy it was to like Dusty. Even sick and injured, he had a friendly and easy going nature. He was someone I could easily call "friend."

"Wheel him to the infirmary," Doc called to the Green Shirt medics. They instantly swarmed the gurney. Dusty had closed his eyes again, lips pressed tightly together. I could see he was looking a little green once again.

"Make that STAT," I ordered, setting the pace and leading the way.

Dusty had been somewhere in California on one of his Desert Training missions teaching a small company of troops how to survive in extreme temperatures.

They'd been wandering the desert for about four days when a couple of Green Shirts headed for a bit of shade under a rock outcropping. They weren't being careful and didn't realise they had sat near a nest of vipers, real ones, not Cobra this time. As the snakes began slithering out of cracks in the rock, they both froze. Dusty acted fast, drawing the snakes attention so others could pull them away to safety. His distraction worked, a little too well, and the Greenshirts were pulled away unharmed but Dusty was bit, several times.

Dusty's quick action probably saved their lives, but at the risk of his own.

They Med-Evacuated him immediately.

Dusty lay asleep on the bed in the infirmary, still in a lot of pain. He was restless and moaned softly as he tossed and turned. We were holding our breaths to see if the anti venom would be sufficient.

Doc kept checking his blood pressure regularly, every 20 minutes. He had a breathing machine nearby just in case. I noticed with surprise, that his lined forehead was dotted with beads of sweat. Suddenly, I realised Dusty's prognosis didn't look so good. He was a lot worse off than I had thought.

Doc decided to administer another dose of the anti-venom so I prepared the syringe. We were taking a gamble. Too much and Dusty could have to deal with additional complications, not enough and the anti-venom would not be able to neutralise the snake's venom. We injected another half dose and continued to monitor him closely.

Several weary hours later, Doc took yet another reading of Dusty. A smile slowly spread across his face and he stood up, looking like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"His BP's almost back to normal," his eyes were bright, "He's gonna pull through."

I grinned back at Doc, couldn't help myself. We both just stood there staring at each other with goofy grins on our faces. Then, we both began to laugh. The clear, joyful sound filled the room. Dusty was gonna be alright.

Most regular soldiers don't often realise how stressful it is to be an army medic. A doctor, any doctor, wants to help his patients. This is especially true for doctors like Doc and I, …because we cared. We always want our patients to not only just recover, but to be completely healed, whole and healthy. And if they don't, well, let's just say you never, ever forget a patient you lose.

Dusty was finally awake and, except for tenderness at the bite sights, free from pain. He was joking about how familiar he was getting with snake bites when Doc slipped and let him know just how close he had come to dying.

Dusty had not known how bad off he really was.

"What!" he turned to us sharply, his voice rising in shock and anger. "I'm gonna clean their clocks," he balled up his fist.

I understood his anger. Those Green Shirts' stupidity had almost cost him his life.

"Easy there Dusty," Doc advised with a slight smile.

"Wait, you didn't tell my ma I was laid up in the hospital did you?," he asked, sitting up suddenly.

"No, don't worry. We didn't say anything," Doc calmly assured him.

"Good. I'd sure hate to worry her," he leaned back into his pillow.

At that moment a young pretty nurse came in and our conversation ended. She nodded towards Doc and I and then smiled brightly as she hovered around Dusty, checking his chart, taking his temperature, his pulse, and jotting down the numbers.

"So, am I gonna live?" he asked with a soft drawl.

"Of course," she laughed, "Your vitals look great."

He nodded amiably, "Take more than a little ol' snake bite to finish me off."

"I should think so."

He grinned.

"Take it easy, Mr. Rudat," she smiled softly as she adjusted his covers.

"Sure thing, ma'am," he grinned, "And call me Dusty."

"Dusty," she smiled again.

His eyes followed her as she left the room,

"I think she likes me," Dusty told us, folding his hands behind his head and grinning smugly.

I just turned and rolled my eyes.

Doc lowered his glasses and peered over them, "Keep dreaming, Dusty."

Apparently, Dusty thought any girl who was nice to him "liked" him and this was a familiar conversation with Doc. Unfortunately, because of Dusty's outgoing nature and easy smile, that was just about every woman he encountered.

"Just you wait and see, Doc, this time it's gonna happen," said the ever hopeful, Dusty.

"We'll see, Dusty," Doc murmured unconvinced. He was already back to reading his report.

Dusty was to be in the hospital recovering for another week. Then, Doc was planning to release him on non active duty for an additional week. Apparently typical recovery time for snake bite, I had learned.

During his stay he had a lot of vistors. As I said before, Dusty was well liked among the Joes and a good friend to everyone. It seemed Joes were always coming in and out. On the day of his discharge, even Duke came in for a visit.

He was smiling broadly, "I wanted to let you know you're being awarded a Soldier's Medal for this. Congratulations, kid. You did good."

"Wow!," Dusty grinned, " My ma's gonna be awful proud."

"That she is," Duke chuckled.

Several days later, I was gazing out one of our third floor windows. In the distance, I saw Dusty walking slowly with one of the nurses. They were holding hands. It wasn't until she turned and I saw her profile that I recognised her, the pretty young nurse who had been taking care of Dusty during his recovery.

I guess Dusty got the girl this time, after all.

I was happy for him, the lucky dog.


	16. Chapter 16

_Thanks for reading!_

 _Note: according to his original Joe profile, Lifeline is from Seattle, Washington._

 _Dusty and Footloose are both infantry, Dusty with extensive desert experience, Footloose with some desert experience as well…In Sunbow's_ _Hearts and Cannons_ _episode, they ended up on a desert mission together. I have no doubts they would share their "desert" experiences with one another._

* * *

It was a little early for lunch but I had been up since 0400 treating some Green Shirts with a bad case of food poisoning and believe it or not, I was hungry. I've been told before that I have an iron stomach. I guess it's true, because nothing ruins my appetite, not even patients with trigger happy stomachs.

The mess was nearly empty when I arrived. I grabbed a sandwich and some mystery vegetable soup and looked around.

Now, I have to confess, I dread eating in the mess and no, it's not because of the food. That, at least, is edible. The real problem is that I never know where to sit. Among the Joes I have made lots of acquaintances, but there is no one I would call a close friend, except maybe Doc. Whenever the two of us take our meals at the same time, we always sit together. It's easy. And lots of Joes join us. Doc is well liked by everyone. But when I go alone, well, sometimes the place can be full of Joes and I'll end up eating alone. My own fault, really, I know. I'm simply not bold enough to just walk over and join a table group, residual effects of a shy childhood, I suppose.

I saw Footloose and Dusty eating together at one table, Gung Ho and Roadblock at another. Other than a scattering of Greenshirts, the remaining tables were still empty. I sighed and started to head for an empty table when Dusty spotted me.

"Lifeline," he waved and called me over.

I immediately picked my tray back up and grinned as I walked over to join them, thankful for the invitation. I may be shy, but I am not antisocial.

"How are you feeling, Dusty?" I asked as I slid my tray across the table.

"Back to normal," he grinned.

"Glad to hear it."

"Hey, like…, what brings you to the mess so early?," Footloose asked.

"Early morning with sick Green Shirts," I answered with a shrug and a slight grimace.

"Aww, that's rough, man."

"Tell me about it," I took a bite of my sandwich. Iron stomach or no, I did not want to think about the Green Shirts over lunch.

After the polite talk was over, the conversation sputtered and stalled and we sat there eating in silence. Since I didn't have anything to say, they gradually returned to their previous conversation. I listened and tried to follow along. I think they were discussing various ways of desert tracking. Unfortunately, when it comes to deserts, I am completely clueless. Hey, have I mentioned before that I was born and raised in the Great Northwest? What can I say, Seattle is always green.

Soon, my mind began to drift, only half paying attention to what they were saying, nodding occasionally to keep up appearances, as Joes began trickling in for lunch.

I watched, with a bit of awe, as Snake Eyes slipped in unnoticed, grabbed a tray, and immediately slipped out. Ninja indeed. The man moves like a shadow. I knew that due to his facial scarring, Snake Eyes didn't like to eat in public and always took his meals to the privacy of his own room. I also knew that he allowed Scarlet to eat with him on occasion. I don't know of anyone else who did. I wondered if he ever felt lonely.

The mess was beginning to fill. The noise in the room was changing from a soft rumble to a dull roar. I watched Joes exchanging greetings, laughing and joking with one another as they separated into smaller, more familiar groups around the tables. The Joes were definitely more than just a team of elite soldiers, they were good friends.

I knew it was taking a while for me to find my own circle of friends, but as I looked from Dusty to Footloose, who paused suddenly in their conversation to give me apologetic smiles, I smiled, realizing I was getting there. More importantly, I was finally being accepted as a Joe.

"Hi Lifeline…, Footloose, Dusty…," a voice said in passing.

"What? Oh…, hi Flint," I looked up surprised. I hadn't see _him_ come in.

"Later…," he said just as quickly giving us a backhanded wave. His face had split into a lopsided grin as he headed for the lunch line. I watched him sidle up beside Lady Jaye and tap her on the shoulder. She turned and gave him a brilliant smile. They immediately launched into an animated conversation. I shook my head with amusement. Then, hearing the rising pitch in Lady Jaye's voice and seeing Flint's face darken slightly, I nearly laughed out loud. Those two definitely deserved one another.

One by one, I was getting to know the stories behind the Joes, not just their faces. As my eyes swept the room, I realised with eagerness, I could't wait to know all of them better.

I had told Doc once that the Joes were growing on me, and I meant it. I vividly remember him laying his hand on my shoulder and telling me that I was growing on them, too. At the time, I had had a hard time believing him. Not any more.

"Hi Lifeline," Scarlet walked by my table, smiling warmly, nodding to all.

"Hi, Scarlet," I looked up from my half eaten soup into her very blue eyes and smiled.

She continued on her way to the table with Duke, Flint and Lady Jaye. No surprise there. I watched as they greeted her with welcoming smiles. Lady Jaye even stood and gave her a warm hug.

Watching them, I was not surprised. I knew some of the Joe relationships went deeper than friendship, and looking at Flint & Lady Jaye, some were obviously more than friendships. The Joes had it all; they were a family.

"Hey Lifeline, Dusty, Footloose."

Alpine and Bazooka joined our table. As they set their trays down, I noticed with mild surprise how much food was piled on Bazooka's tray. No wonder the guy had trouble keeping his weight within regs. Doc was always giving him not so gentle reminders. It never worked, though. Bazooka was still Bazooka.

Alpine looked at me with smirk and then turned to his larger buddy, speaking slowly and clearly so I would be sure to hear. "You know, Bazooka, I just don't understand," he shook his head ruefully, "Hawk won't approve my request for a climbing wall. How else am I suppose to practice?" He sighed loudly and then turned to me, "Hawk told me I should just climb the building walls instead."

"What? I sat up quickly. "You're not climbing the buildings…," I began angrily.

Suddenly, Alpine burst out laughing.

I knew then, he had been teasing me. I just shook my head softly and grinned, all my anger quickly draining away. I suppose I deserved that.

By now, I had finished my meal and was just thinking about leaving when Cover Girl and Shipwreck came over and joined our table.

"Hey Dusty, Footloose, Lifeline! Oh, Hi Alpine, 'Zook," they slid easily into a couple of empty chairs.

And then, the next thing I knew, Shipwreck was telling us all about their latest punishment fiasco.

It seems, Shipwreck, Cover Girl, Alpine and Bazooka had been assigned to trim the rough, overgrown bushes along the base perimeter's south wall.

It took them all day to do it. After they finished, they gathered the cuttings into a huge pile ready for pick up the next morning.

"That would make a great bonfire," Shipwreck had said as he stared at it. Apparently, it went down hill from there.

"Bonfire," Cover Girl's eyes lit up excitedly, her lips slightly pursed. "Hey, let's make s'mores," she suggested eagerly. When Courtney looked like that, everyone was reminded why she had been super model.

"S'mores," Bazooka grinned happily nodding, oblivious to everything else.

Alpine stared at Cover Girl, a kind of dreamy smile on his face.

"Well guys, what do you think?" she stamped her foot impatiently.

Shipwreck finally peeled his eyes away from Cover Girl's bright face, then slapped Alpine on the shoulder, sending him staggering.

"Okay, let's do it," he grinned, "Light the bonfire boys and girl, it's s'mores time!"

Cover Girl let out a little squeal as she hurried to get the graham crackers, marshmallows and bars of chocolate while Shipwreck and the boys tried to light a fire. Trouble was, the brush was too wet. It just smoked and then went out, over and over. They couldn't get it to stay lit.

"We need something flammable." Alpine said studying the pile, still sending up small, smoky wisps of dying flames.

"Flammable…Wait! I know just the thing…," Shipwreck's eyes lit up mischievously under his heavy brows. He disappeared and returned about 15 minutes later.

"Jet fuel," he grinned, holding up a gas can.

"Jet fuel…?," Alpine's eyes widened. "I don't think…"

Shipwreck ignored him as he poured fuel liberally over the twigs and branches…then threw a match. It worked. They all jumped back with a yelp as a huge flame rose up, setting the nearby bushes on fire.

"Shipwreck! What have you done?," Courtney had returned just in time to see the surrounding bushes catch fire.

Thick black smoke was rising into the air. It wasn't long before they heard the sound of the Joe's fire truck.

"Oh no," Bazooka moaned, sinking to his knees.

Cover Girl carefully slipped the coveted supplies under a bush, out of sight, trying to look as innocent as possible.

Barbecue was not happy and once he had doused the flames, launched into a lecture about the dangers of playing with fire, and that as adults they should have known better.

Then he told Duke.

Needless to say, Duke was livid," Shipwreck continued, "We had to listen to another lecture from him," he grimaced.

"…and now we're cleaning toilets for the next three weeks," Cover Girl sighed.

"With toothbrushes…," Alpine added mournfully.

Shipwreck lowered his voice and glanced toward the table where Duke was laughing at something Scarlet had said. "Never did find out we used Jet fuel though…," he grinned.

I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt, "Shipwreck, you're incorrigible!"

Footloose was slapping his side. "Man, that was like so awesomely funny! Wish I'd been there," he laughed, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Me too," Dusty was grinning. "That would've been something worth writing home about."

As I looked around the table at the laughing, happy Joe faces mirroring my own, I knew without a doubt, I had stepped over the line of friendship, I was becoming part of the family, too.

When I finally returned to the infirmary, I was still chuckling softly to myself.

"What's for lunch?" Doc asked without looking up.

"S'mores," I answered automatically.

Doc raised his head slowly and just looked at me in confusion, "S'mores?"

"Yes, another Shipwreck disaster," I grinned, slowly meeting his eye, trying my best not to laugh. "But don't worry. You'll learn."

I'd always wanted to be the one to say that.

Shaking his head, Doc just pulled off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "If it's Shipwreck, I don't want to know," he mumbled. Then I heard his deep rumbling laugh.

"Doc," Breaker's voice came over the com, "Yer wanted in Hawk's office."

"Thanks Breaker, on my way." Then Doc turned to me, his dark eyes suddenly serious, "I'll be back shortly."

I nodded. Time to check up on those sickly Green Shirts, anyway, I sighed.

When Doc returned later that afternoon, he began packing immediately.

"Hawk's sending me with the extraction team. I have to prepare for the mission. We're leaving tomorrow."

"Okay, Doc, no problem," I had expected something like that. I was about to ask what I could do to help when a storm of people and feathers and flying dog hair burst through the door, all talking or barking at once. I resisted the urge to cover my ears as my eyes settled on one familiar figure in the group.

"Shipwreck…," I groaned. Just how much trouble could that one Sailor get into?

Doc paused in his preparations long enough to glance over at me, "Go get 'em," he chuckled.

Nodding, I pressed my lips together, and rolled up my sleeves. Bring it on. I was ready for anything.

"Lifeline!" Shipwreck stepped forward quickly, "Am I glad to see you…"

"Shipwreck…," I said sternly, drawing myself up to my full height.

Too bad I couldn't wipe the grin from my face.


	17. Chapter 17

_Thanks again for reading!_

* * *

As the feathers and dog hair began to settle I could finally make out who it was that had come in behind Shipwreck. My eyes slowly widened as I swept my gaze over the disheveled crew before me.

Mutt was red faced and breathing hard, arm muscles rippling with strain as he kept a tight grip on Junkyard's collar. The large Rottweiler was trying his best to break free as he lunged repeatedly at Polly who was fluttering in crooked circles above their heads, squawking angrily.

Spirit and Freedom, standing to the rear, were trying to muster all the dignity they could, despite their somewhat rumpled appearances. Freedom gave a sudden cry and flew up toward the ceiling in a wide circle. He immediately returned to his perch on the back of the wooden chair near Spirit. Tilting his head, he glared at everyone in the room.

"Get outa here you loud mouthed bird," Mutt growled threateningly, waving his free hand toward the still circling Polly.

"Hey, no one's allowed to call Polly loud mouthed except me…," Shipwreck spoke up defensively.

Polly laughed and flew down, landing lightly on Shipwreck's shoulder. "Yeah, Don't call Polly loud mouthed…Wrock…"

"Why you little…" Mutt growled and bared his teeth.

Polly just laughed again. "Pretty, Polly…wrock….Nice, Polly,"

"I oughta just let Junk have at you….you little trouble maker."

Apparently, I learned through bits and pieces later, Polly had been up to his usual tricks. He had flown unseen into Mutt's training yard and perched in a tree above them. Every time Mutt gave the command, "heel," Polly would immediately say, "sit." If Mutt said "stay," Polly would say "come."

Junkyard had tried to ignore the Polly voice as he listened for Mutt's commands, but he soon became confused. Tilting his head slightly and looking at Mutt, he finally gave a soft whine of defeat.

Polly then flew down from the tree, making his presence known. Junkyard, realising that this had been the source of his confusion, turned on him, barking wildly. A dog and bird fight quickly followed.

Shipwreck arrived just in time to see to Junkyard spit out a mouthful of green feathers. Before he could do anything though, Polly had retaliated with a sharp peck to Junkyard's tender nose, sending him yelping to Mutt.

Freedom and Spirit had been quietly watching the other four from the sidelines until Polly made a wild escape and flew right at them. There was no time to avoid a collision.

Looking at the results, I didn't have to imagine where it went from there.

Polly had lost a chunk of tail feathers, leaving a visible patch of bare, white skin. The end of Junkyard's nose was red and swollen. Shipwreck needed a couple stitches and probably a shot of antibiotics for his arm. I wasn't sure who bit him. It could have been Mutt, Junkyard, Polly or even Freedom, for all I knew. Spirit had four raised red lines running down the inside of his arm, bleeding lightly. Hmmm…fingernails or claws? Of the six, only Mutt and Freedom seemed unscathed.

I pursed my lips together and moaned inwardly, "Why me?"

Doc was going off to treat real injuries like bullet and shrapnel wounds…while I was here, treating bites and scratches…from dogs and…parrots. Bandaids and Neosporin was about all I was going to need. Well, that …and a whole lot of patience.

I shook my head slowly. At this moment, I wasn't sure how much of that I had left.

The noise and commotion in the infirmary continued to build with everyone talking and arguing all at once. Junkyard was barking even more furiously and Polly's raucous laughter could be heard just over the din.

"Friends, you must stop this arguing and choose peace. Even the willow learns to bend to the wind." Spirit's voice was so low that it cut clearly through all the noise.

Nice try, I thought, but it won't work.

"You got one thing right, Spirit," Mutt grunted, tightening his grip once again on Junkyard's collar, "Shipwreck's ALL wind."

"Hey, I resent that," Shipwreck said indignantly, still trying to coax Polly to return to him.

I shook my head softly. Yup, I was right.

I slid my glasses up my nose with one angry push, "Enough!" Forget being patient, I'd already lost that battle. "All of you…, BE QUIET!"

The room fell silent as all eyes turned toward me sheepishly. I stepped forward quickly, taking control.

"You and you," I pointed to Shipwreck and Polly, "Exam room one." I motioned for them to go.

"You and You," I pointed to Mutt and Junkyard, "Wait over there." I motioned toward the row of chairs in the waiting area. "And you two…, stay here," I told Spirit and Freedom.

As they began to grumble and complain, I snapped, "No more arguing! Or else…"

In the silence that immediately followed, the only sound was Junkyard's heavy panting as his tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth. Chasing Polly must have had worn him out, the poor thing. My heart softened just a bit and I brought him a bowl of water. His brown eyes looked up at me gratefully then he bent his head and began to lap water thirstily. A small smile came to my lips as I scratched behind his ear.

One by one, I treated their injuries. I must admit, I was in a rare mood. I think every time Doc passed me by, he looked at me with growing amusement.

I couldn't help myself from drawing small happy faces over all their bandages as I treated and dressed their injuries. Spirit had a whole row of them down his forearm. He refused to speak to me after that. I think I saw him pull them off the minute he was out the door.

Shipwreck wasn't so lucky. He had to leave his on as they were covering his brand-new stitches. I made sure to draw all his happy faces in neon pink. It was quite a colourful contrast to the anchor tattoo visible lower down on the same arm.

"Do you have do that?," he complained.

I just looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Act like children, get treated like children," I said coolly.

'Wrock, Wrock…nice look, Sailor. Ha, Ha…,"

"Aww…, shut up you loud mouthed bird," Shipwreck grumbled, dropping his chin into his hand.

My lips curved into a slight smirk. For once, Polly and I agreed on something.

Once they were gone, Doc began teasing me. He was busy, but that didn't stop him from breaking into a grin or chuckling deep in his throat every time we ran across each other. I didn't see what was so funny, and told him so, several times. That just made him laugh harder.

At the end of the day, I found my desk and slumped down in my chair. I was that tired.

Doc had finally finished his packing and was about to head to his quarters. Before he did though, he stepped into my office and came up beside me. Expecting more teasing, I ignored him. Instead, he lay a heavy hand on my shoulder and gave a quick squeeze. Then, without a word, he quickly turned and left.

I smiled softly. Doc was like that. Yeah, he could tease you mercilessly, like he did me all afternoon. But, when it really counted, he had a way of lifting you up, of encouraging you.

"Thanks Doc," I turned quickly, speaking toward the doorway where he had already disappeared.

I'm not sure if he heard me, but I think he did. His steps seemed to gain a bit of spring as they echoed down the hall.

"Come back safely," I whispered into the emptiness he left behind.

I didn't have to see Doc leave a room room to know that he was not around. He had a huge presence that extended far beyond his physical self, so much so that when he was gone, you noticed it. There was always a gaping hole left in the place where he'd been. In my lifetime, I have known others like him, but they are far and few between.

Doc was definitely one of the giants among men.

My first day alone in the infirmary started with a bang. About a dozen Green Shirts had been injured during motorised vehicle combat training. A couple of the less experienced drivers had lost control and overturned their V.A.M.P.s, resulting in a multi vehicle pile-up in the small training area, with the injured parties ending up in my infirmary. Without Doc, I was one busy doctor.

As always, news and gossip spread quickly among the Joes and this was no exception.

Even before the wheels on the V.A.M.P.s had stopped spinning and I had finished bandaging my first patient, Hawk was already shaking his head over the number of damaged vehicles and injured men, trying to figure out how to smooth the whole thing over, hoping it wouldn't get reported to Washington.

Flint was being held personally responsible for the mess since he had been the one in charge of the training. Needless to say, Hawk was not pleased with him.

The entire motor pool was ordered to begin working on repairs immediately. Cover Girl, Clutch and the rest of the grease monkeys complained loudly about having to clean up the Green Shirts' mess. It didn't help that Hawk was breathing down their necks to get it all done quickly…and quietly, as possible.

Soon enough, though, they were all covered head to toe in engine grease, with V.A.M.P.s stripped down to parts as they worked on the repairs. When they had found out that Flint had been the one leading the training, the whole motor pool rose in an uproar against him. If they weren't heckling Flint before, they were cursing him now.

Flint, during all of this, was pretty much on his own. I couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him. I'm sure Lady Jaye would have sided with him if she hadn't been out on a mission. Probably…, most likely…well, maybe. On second thought, you never really know with Lady Jaye.

I'd noticed Scarlet and Snake Eyes missing too. The three had probably been sent out together. Whenever the Joes needed covert or silent, those three were called. Lady Jaye could become anyone and get in anywhere. Snake Eyes was a ninja…enough said. The guy could become practically invisible and Scarlet was almost as good. They could both sneak in unseen, almost anywhere. Pretty impressive. I had to admit once again, the Joes were good at what they did. Very good.

Back here at the Pit, however, the stress levels were still unbearably high. The motor pool guys were not happy, and they didn't hesitate to share their misery with everyone else. That had made pretty much everyone else miserable as well.

I decided to stay in the infirmary as much as possible until it all blew over. I could be very good at disappearing when I wanted to be.

At meal times, I grabbed a tray from the mess and took my meals to go. If anyone asked, I just cited infirmary duties as an excuse.

Dusty saw right through my ruse, however. He raised his eyebrows and grinned knowingly when he saw me heading for the exit with a loaded tray for the second time that day. I think he was just about to say something when a very grumpy Cover Girl, grease streaks still visible in her thick auburn hair, plunked down in the seat next to him.

"Dusty, you have no idea what I've been through today…," she began.

Now it was my turn to grin.

He shook his head softly, lips twitching, and then turned to Cover Girl with a patient expression. "So, what's up Cover Girl?"

That Dusty was a good guy. I just hoped he could survive Cover Girl.

It seemed everyone on base was upset and snapping at everyone else, with most of that irritation directed toward Flint. I found myself observing him curiously. He never tried to defend himself, never offered a word in his own defence. His uncharacteristic behaviour caused heads to shake and tongues to wag even more.

Something was definitely wrong, I decided.

What we didn't know then, but learned later, was the reason behind Flint's distraction.

Lady Jaye had missed her last two check-ins.


	18. Chapter 18

I released the last of the Green Shirts who been involved in the V.A.M.P. incident first thing this morning. Not that I would ever confess this to anyone, but I was so happy to get those jokers out of my infirmary. All they did was complain. They complained about their injuries, complained about Flint, complained about the V.A.M.P.s. I was not thrilled about having to listen to them over and over and over again. I tell you, it took every bit of self control not to lose my patience, and I am generally known as a patient kind of guy.

None of the Green Shirts had been seriously injured, just a couple of broken bones and one slight concussion. I had kept them overnight merely as a precaution.

Actually, in retrospect, all the injuries occurred during the training mishap had been pretty minor. Most of the Green Shirts involved had been treated and released immediately, with just a few scrapes and abrasions, no more than the kind of injuries received during Beach Head's PT or any hand to hand training. I had come to expect these kinds of incidents from the Joes.

In fact, I am convinced the whole incident would have blown over by now if not for the number of V.A.M.P.s still being fixed. The entire Motor Pool crew was blaming Flint for their extra work load.

"Gee, Flint, thanks a lot."

"Great, like we don't already have enough to do."

"Whoopie, just what I wanted, more vehicles to fix."

"Guess I won't be leaving the garage any time soon."

Then, to add to the current stress, several of the Top Brass from Washington decided to make unscheduled visit to the Pit to aid them in the decision process for next year's budget proposals. We all knew what that meant. Even as we gave a collective groan, Hawk was already sending orders for the entire motor pool to step up the progress on the repairs of the V.A.M.P.s. He also added that, as of that moment, all approved leaves were postponed or suspended until further notice. The VIP's from Washington would be arriving in less than 48 hours. He wanted the Joe V.A.M.P.s. to be repaired and fully operational by that time.

All the mechanics in the Motor Pool picked up the pace, working steadily, side by side, in an effort to meet Hawk's demands. They knew the importance of being able to present combat ready Joe vehicles.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Joes pitched in everywhere else to make sure the base was ready to receive our very important guests.

All of us were aware of what additional budget cuts for the next year could mean to GI Joe and were willing to do whatever necessary.

A few of the more mechanically inclined Joes even volunteered to help in the garage. I peeked in on them on my way to grab lunch. I was surprised to see Cross Country, of all Joes, working alongside Cover Girl, realigning what looked to be an axle. I almost didn't recognise him without his Country music tape playing in the background. But then again, as if to make up for it, he was singing and humming along to himself happily as he worked.

Courtney gave him and exasperated look and rolled her eyes but his cheerfulness proved contagious. It wasn't long before I heard her voice joining his, the two of them tapping their toes and nodding their heads along to their own shared beat as they worked on their V.A.M.P.

It took a minute but I recognised the song. Believe it or not, they were singing Donny and Marie Osmond's, A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock'n'Roll, with Cover Girl singing the Rock'n'Roll parts and Cross Country singing the Country parts. No joke,… and it wasn't pretty.

Let me tell you, Donny and Marie have absolutely nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.

After they finished the song, Cross Country grinned and looked at Cover Girl, "Ya know, Court, I always knew you was a country girl at heart…"

She just narrowed her brown eyes at him and spoke levelly, "Only for today, CC, only for today."

His eyes crinkled and he laughed. "Deal, CG," Then he launched into another country song.

Cover Girl slowly relaxed and joined him.

"Hey Cover Girl, how about some Madonna, next," Clutch jeered from a few V.A.M.P.s over.

Without a break in the song she was singing, she made a face and stuck out her tongue.

"The Bangles?"

At this she narrowed her eyes and slowly reached for her wrench.

"The Culture Club?," he continued, not noticing, "…Owww!… Hey! Whaddya go and do that for?"

She grinned smugly. Her wrench had hit him exactly where she had aimed.

I turned away, quickly, trying not to laugh. Serves Clutch right. I've always liked that girl; she's got spunk.

* * *

Clutch had been one of those unlucky Joes who'd had to give up his weekend leave in order to work on the V.A.M.P.s. Not only that, but he'd had to cancel a date with his girl that he'd been planning for over two months. She had not been very understanding and the conversation had ended with her hanging up on him. He was still reeling from the call when he walked into what felt like a brick wall.

"Sorry," Flint said automatically, offering his hand, "Didn't see you."

Clutch took one look at who's hand was being offered and his eyes darkened. He quickly jumped to his feet and growled. "This is all yer fault," he said, taking a step closer. His hands were balled into fists. "If you'd been doing your job as a leader, we wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place…"

Flint looked at him in bewilderment. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"You've got a girl. Why'd you have to go and mess it up for others?," he screamed into his face.

Flint blinked and his face suddenly darkened. There wasn't anger on his face as Clutch had expected from the WO, but hurt.

"Clutch, that's enough." Hawk suddenly appeared from nowhere. He turned to Flint and spoke quietly, "I'm glad I ran into you. I just got a report in from Scarlet."

"Lady Jaye…?," Flint asked softly.

Hawk glanced toward Clutch and then nodded in affirmation. "Scarlet and Snake Eyes have her. They're bringing her home."

"How..how is she?" Flint asked shakily, already knowing Hawk's answer.

The General hesitated, " …Scarlet says she doesn't look good."

Flint inhaled sharply. He felt like a fist had just slammed into his chest.

"Lifeline has already been notified…He's on standby."

Flint stood with his shoulders slumped, staring at his feet. He gave a short nod.

Clutch's eyes grew wide as he looked from the General to Flint, "I…I'm sorry, Flint, man. I had no idea….no one… knew."

Flint turned suddenly to Clutch, his eyes dark and filled with hurt, "Yeah?," he hissed softly, "Well, now you do." He brushed by him angrily.

Before he could leave, Hawk caught Clutch's guilty eye and pinned him. His voice was low and threatening, "If I ever see that kind of insubordination toward a Commanding Officer from you again, you will learn to rue the day. I'll have you disciplined so fast your head will be spinning. Do I make myself clear?"

Clutch gulped, "Yes Sir." He knew one thing was for certain, the whole Motor Pool had some apologising to do.

* * *

I was wandering the base grounds alone, enjoying the peace and solitude the open night always brings, letting the stillness of the desert seep into me. Whenever my life becomes busy, or the pressures become more than I can handle, I always escape to a place of solitude. There, I find the strength for another day.

Don't get me wrong, I love the infirmary. I really do. It's my absolute favourite place to be. But, there are times when I just need to get away from everything and everyone, you know, clear my head, …like tonight.

I took in the wide expanse above, the bright stars dotting the black canvas, and let out a sigh.

After his run in with Clutch, Flint had come directly to the infirmary. I had been at my desk jotting down some notes when he suddenly filled the doorway.

"Lifeline…can I speak with you?," he asked quietly.

"Flint?," I spun my chair around to face him. "Of course…," I answered quickly.

He lowered his eyes and began speaking softly, his voice quiet. As I listened to him, a knot grew in my stomach. Just like an uncanny feeling of knowing the instant someone walks into a room, Flint confessed to me that he had already known Lady Jaye had run into trouble on this mission. He also knew that she was hurt, and hurt badly…and…he was afraid for her.

I stared at him in unbelief. Flint confessing his fears for Lady Jaye… to me? The knot in my stomach tightened. I understood at that moment what he had been going through the last couple days and I honestly felt for the man.

"I'm not Doc, but I'll do my best," I promised quietly, laying a hand on his shoulder.

He had slowly lifted his eyes to meet mine, "That's all I can ask."

I looked up again and smiled softly. There was something comforting in the fact that the stars were still twinkling overhead, that despite all the troubles and hurt here at the Pit, there was order in the universe and the stars never changed.

Away from the electric lights of the city that I knew so well, they stood brilliantly against the black sky. I gazed in wonder at the Milky Way as it stretched across the sky, a highway of stars, so unlike the dull stream I could see from my home back in Seattle. The only sound was a gentle breeze through the trees. I closed my eyes and let it wash over me, let the peace fill me, giving me the strength I knew I would need… for the next day.


	19. Chapter 19

_(For Guest Susan's request) Lowlight makes an appearance in this chapter. Thanks for the idea. This Low-Light is modelled after the Sunbow Low-Light...as are all my characters._

 _As always..thank you for reading and_ _reviewing! I appreciate it!_

* * *

Within the span of a single breath, the whole atmosphere around the Pit changed. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen Joe solidarity stronger, except maybe during a heated battle against Cobra. But this was something more, something deeper. Word about Lady Jaye had spread. Whatever complaints the Joes had had with one another, they were now forgotten. The Joes were a unified team, a tight family, once again.

Just before his run in with Flint, Hawk had filled me in on Lady Jaye's situation over the com. He was short and succinct, as was his usual fashion, getting straight to the point.

I very quickly learned that Lady Jaye had been on a classified mission when she had been captured by Cobra. Scarlet and Snake Eyes had then been sent to rescue her and were on the transport even as we spoke, bringing her home. According to the information he had received from Scarlet, she was unconscious and had multiple injuries. I was ordered to prepare the infirmary for her arrival.

"Yes, Sir, General Hawk, Sir," I fired off a salute out of habit.

"Hawk out," the com went silent.

My hand slowly dropped to my side. I was left wondering about all he had left unsaid.

Their transport arrived late in the night. As I watched the twin lights growing nearer, my mind began replaying all that Hawk had said, all that Flint had told me. I trembled slightly as the Tomahawk touched down. Flint stood with a small group of Joes behind me, all taking in the scene with worried expressions on their faces. I could feel his dark eyes, riveted on the helicopter, pleading silently. Then the door slid open, revealing Snake Eyes standing tall and black on the other side, motioning for me to enter.

I took a deep shuddering breath and stepped into the Tomahawk. A quick initial assessment told me that Lady Jaye had bullet wounds to the arm and leg, head injury with probable concussion, and most likely some broken bones. I nodded to Scarlet and Snake Eyes and then signalled to the Green Shirt medics who wheeled her out of the transport.

Snake Eyes and Scarlet exited the Tomahawk right behind her. The Joes quickly gathered around them, welcoming them home, patting them on their backs for a job well done.

Scarlet's face was red and splotchy as she looked at them through tear filled eyes and then she hung her head. She knew she would never forget the sight of finding her best friend locked away in that dank Cobra cell. Bleeding and unconscious, Lady Jaye had looked as though her body had been tossed inside and left for dead. She would never forget seeing Snake Eyes pick her up gently and carry her out, her limp form cradled in his strong arms.

Once they had her on board the Tomahawk, Scarlet had done what she could to tend Jaye's numerous wounds and injuries. Then she had collapsed into tears with Snake Eyes' arms around her. Together they waited out the torturous hours to the Pit.

The gathered crowd watched in silence as we wheeled her to the OR where I began systematically working through her injuries. There was no delicate way to put it, she was bad. There was a 50/50 chance that she'd even make it through the night. She'd lost a lot of blood and her head injury was one of the worst I've seen. She was in surgery several hours. As I covered the last wound with a fresh bandage, I spoke softly to her, telling her to keep fighting, that she'd made it this far, and not to give up now. Then I draped my softest blanket over her and gently tucked her in.

My next task was always the most difficult part of my job. It was time to meet with the Joes who were waiting in the lounge, to meet with Flint, and yet, I found myself hesitating, not yet able to go. Taking a moment to gather my thoughts and to reign in my emotions, I stood quietly by the side of her bed. I rested my gaze on her, looking for something…anything. She was too still, too pale. She didn't look like the Lady Jaye I'd come to know at all. Hooked up to all the monitors and IV's she looked so small and fragile, like she could easily break. I rubbed my weary eyes and wished I had some good news to share with those who were waiting.

Every Joe knows that when a teammate is sent on a mission there's a possibility that they could come back hurt, injured or even worse. It's not something anyone likes to talk about. And when someone does come back hurt, its always a huge blow to the whole team.

I understand more than ever what Doc meant when he called the Joes a family. As I studied Lady Jaye's unconscious face, I finally understood. The Joes out in that lounge were afraid of losing more than just a friend, they were afraid of losing a sister. I know, because…, that's how I was feeling, too. And as for Flint, well…, we all knew it was so much more than that… for him.

I couldn't procrastinate any longer. Taking a deep breath, I exhaled slowly and then with determined steps, made my way toward the lounge and the anxiously waiting Joes.

Flint practically jumped out of his chair, running, as soon as I came into view.

"How is she?" he demanded, running a hand though his already mussed dark hair.

Scarlet, Duke, Snake Eyes and the others crowded close around him.

I spoke wearily, "I've done all I can for now. She has a good chance at recovery, if she makes it through the night. We just have to wait and see."

A heavy stillness fell over the room. Cover Girl covered her face as she choked back a sob. Scarlet wrapped her arms around her.

"Can I see her?" Flint asked softly.

I placed my hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes, "Only for a few minutes. She needs to rest."

He gave a stiff nod and then immediately headed for her room.

The rest of the Joes pressed in around me.

"What happened?"

"How badly hurt is she?"

"How long is she going to have to stay in the infirmary?"

Pushing my glasses up my nose in nervous gesture, I carefully explained her condition, the extent of her injuries, and then answered all the additional questions I could. There was one question foremost on everyone's mind, the one question I could not answer.

"Is she going to be okay?"

I had only one answer to give, "I don't know."

All we can do now, is hope and pray and wait.

I was just about to enter her room and check up on her but I stopped. Being well past midnight, the room was dark. In the shadows, I saw Flint, his unmoving form next to her bedside, his head bent over like a broken man. I knew I should make him go, that he had already overstayed his visit, but watching him, I didn't have the heart to ask him to leave.

I entered quietly and Flint barely even registered that I was there. I quickly checked her readings and the monitors, made a few adjustments to her IV drip, and jotted a few more notes in her chart. Her condition had not changed.

Just before I left, I saw him tenderly take her hand in his.

I swallowed the lump suddenly growing in my throat and slipped out, just as quietly as I had come. I went directly to my small office where I collapsed in my chair and stared unseeing into the darkness. Finally, unable to keep my eyes open any longer, my forehead sank into the crook of my arm and I fell asleep at my desk.

* * *

Low-Light came into the infirmary early the next morning, coughing terribly. He wasn't wearing his night vision goggles. That was enough for me to do a double take.

I studied him carefully. Low-Light was one of the Joes I didn't know much about. Actually no one knew much about him. He was a very private person. Quiet and solitary, he didn't have many friends among the Joes, though he had their respect. Newer to the team, he came on about the same time I did. I knew he was a sharpshooter, a marksman, and I'd heard he had a dead eye with a sniper's rifle.

I furrowed my brow as he bent over with another round of violent coughing. When he had finished I immediately pointed him in the right direction, "Exam room one."

Wheezing a bit, he gave a quick nod and headed for the room. I followed behind.

"So how long had this been going on?"

"About a week," he croaked, pressing his hand to his throat and grimacing.

"Sore throat?"

He nodded and swallowed.

"Let's take a look. Say, AH."

"AHHHHHH…"

I shone my penlight into his throat and pursed my lips. A nice bright red but no sign of infection. Looked painful, nevertheless.

"Okay…I'm going to listen to your lungs, now," I pressed my stethoscope to his chest. "Now breathe," I ordered.

I slid the scope over, "Breathe again."

He took a deep breathe and held it.

"Good. No fluid," I mumbled to myself, jotting it down.

"Hold still. I'm going to take a peek in your ears….Now turn your head." Nice and pink, I noted quickly, placing the otoscope to the side. Then I raised my eyes to meet his. "Any fever?"

"Don't know."

"Let's find out…," I reached for my thermometer. "Under your tongue." He clamped his lips over the wand obediently. While we were giving it time to register, I pressed my fingers to his wrist and began counting the beats to get his pulse. After I jotted down the number, I reached over and pulled out the thermometer.

"Hmmm 100.2…,You have a low grade fever…," I wrote the numbers down in his chart, "…but, no sign of infection. Looks like just a bad case of the flu. You're lucky. I can give something to help you feel better, but really, the best medicine is going to be rest."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks," he croaked hoarsely.

"You're welcome," I smiled.

He looked down, fidgeting slightly.

"Something else,?" I asked, peering at him over the rim of my glasses.

"Ummm…..How's Lady Jaye?," he asked shyly.

I smiled at that. "As good as can be expected," I answered quietly, handing him some medicine. "Now, try to get some rest."

"I'll try…Don't think I'll sleep, though," he muttered as he jumped off the exam table.

* * *

Since she arrived, we've had a steady stream of visitors to the infirmary. I mean, I knew Flint would be there. In fact, he hardly leaves her side except when he's on duty.

Cover Girl and Scarlet came in earlier. I had expected them, as well. They brought in some delicate yellow and pink and white flowers and placed them around the room.

"We know how much you hate hospitals. This will help cheer you up when you decide to open those big brown eyes," Scarlet spoke with a cheerful voice.

"Come on Jaye, honey, wake up, okay?" Cover Girl choked, forcing a smile.

But then Shipwreck showed up. He had brought her a small brown bear wearing, of all things, a red bikini. I had to shake my head at that. It was probably a good thing that Flint had been on duty at the time.

"I'm still holding out for that date, Lady Jaye…" he said softly, dropping a few tears as he placed it on the small table next to her bed.

Duke made a visit, as well. I had learned long ago that Lady Jaye was one of the few who could get away with teasing the second in command. He always put up with her, though, simply dishing it right back out. And yet, as friends, I knew there were few he trusted as much as Lady Jaye.

When Snake Eyes had been in the hospital and Scarlet spending a lot of time by his bedside, I saw Lady Jaye often with Duke, talking softly, gently, calmly, with a hand resting lightly on his arm. I didn't have to hear what they were saying to know they were talking about Scarlet.

Then Dusty stopped by. He dropped a card on the already overflowing bedside table. "We all know yer a survivor," he said confidently, "Get well soon, okay?" He gave her hand a squeeze.

He didn't stay long and I nearly bumped into him as he left. I think he must have noticed my bloodshot eyes and the dark circles underneath because he sort of froze and stared at me. Then he gave me a quick nod.

"We really appreciate all yer doing for her," he said sincerely.

"Thank you…, Dusty," I stammered.

"I mean it," he grinned suddenly, slapping me on the back so hard my glasses slipped down my nose. "Ya know, the boys and I are going out tonight. If you can get away from here, why don't you join us?"

I gave a wistful smile. I appreciated the invitation, even though we both knew I wouldn't be able to get away this night or any other night for a while.

"I'd like to…but…," I hesitated.

"Another time then…," he smiled.

"You bet," I grinned, "and, thanks."

For days, I have had to face the same questions over and over again.

"How is she doing, Lifeline?"

"Is she going to wake up, soon?"

Each time, I have had to give the same answer, so much so that my voice sounds hollow in my own ears.

"I still don't know," and I don't.

My eyes suddenly blur. At this point, I would gladly tolerate one of her crazy Gaelic rants if she would just open her eyes…if she would just wake up. I lean my elbow on my desk, pressing my palm into my burning eyes…if only.

Nothing feels worse than being a doctor who's done everything, and wonders if it was enough.

Man, I wish Doc were here.


	20. Chapter 20

_I confess I've only read bits and pieces of the Joe comics, nevertheless, I make reference to GI Joe RAH Vol.37. Kudos to you if you catch it!_

 _And, apologies to any Duke fans out there reading this…I make fun of him in this chapter. He's just such a great character to embarrass….and he blushes so easily in this one!_

 _Thanks for reading and reviewing! I always love to hear what you think, it helps me write better._

 _Usual disclaimer applies…I don't own GI Joe…etc, etc._

* * *

Duke came hobbling into my infirmary, a scowl on his face. Eyes bright with fever, he was slightly bent over, his hands pressed into his lower back. I noticed his breaths coming in short painful pants.

"Yes?" I raised my eyes and asked calmly. The Second in Command, Sergeant 'Duke' Hauser NEVER came to the infirmary. _This should be interesting,_ I mused.

He met my eyes and gave me a sort of pleading look. It was obvious that he didn't want to talk about whatever it was in public, where he might be overheard.

"Take a seat in there," I pointed to the empty exam room across the hall, "I'll be right with you."

I joined him in the room a few minutes later. Once the door was closed, he explained his problem in one long breath, "I've been having this pain in my back, a fever, burning when I…"

I listened to him, nodding occasionally, taking short notes. I already had a pretty good idea what the problem was.

When he had finished his explanation, I took his temperature. Reading the mercury, I nodded to myself _,_ confirming the fever. Then I pointed to the bathroom.

"I'm going to need a urine sample."

He grimaced distastefully, "Is it really necessary?"

"Yes," I told him firmly, "Now, go." I pressed a paper cup into his hand.

"Fine," he grumbled, walking painfully to the bathroom. A few minutes later, he walked out and handed me the full cup, his face bright red.

I took it carefully with my gloved hand, "Take a seat." _Why was it that patients always thought they had to fill the cup?,_ I wondered absently.

I dipped the urine test strip and waited as the colours changed. I looked them over quickly. Pretty much what I had expected…blood, protein, nitrites, leukocytes….all typical indicators.

The test took only a few minutes and I soon rejoined Duke in his room. He looked up, questioning.

"I think I know what it is, but I need to get an X-ray to make sure. Follow me," I took the lead.

He groaned and grunted behind me as we slowly made our way to the radiology room. Once there, it only took a couple minutes to take the pictures. Singing the praises of modern technology, I immediately pulled them up on my laptop and we examined them together.

"My professional opinion is that you have a Urinary Tract Infection," I pointed to the screen. "Left untreated, it has worsened into a mild kidney infection," I told him, pointing to the cloudy pictures of his kidneys next.

He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, his face slowly reddening. "You're saying all this is due to a…a bladder infection?" he muttered in disbelief.

"Yes, and a kidney infection," the corners of my lips rose slightly. I was probably enjoying his discomfort a little too much.

"I thought only women got that," he complained, shaking his head.

"Not at all. 12% of men develop UTI's, as well."

"12%, huh? Lucky me…" he groaned, running a hand through his short blond hair, "Could you, umm, not let anyone know about…. you know…," his eyes dropped and he coughed softly.

"Oh…you mean patient confidentiality and all that?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah, that's right," he nodded vigorously. "Just keep it confidential."

"Sure, I can do that," I smiled. "But, Duke, you're going to have to take it easy and get some real rest. I'll let you do the explaining to everyone else. Just make sure to take your antibiotics…all of them, this time…And you'll be feeling much better in a few days."

"No problem…, doctor," he exhaled in relief, "And thanks."

"You bet," I grinned, shaking my head as I watched him hobble out. I still thought some of these Joes were far too stubborn for their own good.

My grin slowly faded as I glanced up at the wall clock. Time to check in on my other patient. That's another one known for being stubborn.

Then a small smile lifted up the corners of my mouth. She ought to be waking up any time.

* * *

As I entered Lady Jaye's room, I was once again surprised by the number of flowers, cards and stuffed animals given to her by well wishing Joes. And amazingly, it seemed each time I visited, there were even more.

The table by her bedside was overflowing. The unoccupied bed sharing her room was no longer visible, buried beneath the mountain of gifts. In the window, among the older arrangements, I noticed a couple of new pink and yellow bouquets. Scarlet or Cover Girl must have brought them.

Lady Jaye had a lot of friends among the Joes.

I nodded my usual greeting to Flint and he grunted his usual acknowledgment. It was no surprise to find him here, sitting in his usual seat by her bed. The chair had practically moulded itself to his shape, he so rarely left her side.

I methodically checked all the monitors, the machines, and replaced the nearly empty IV bag. Then I checked her temperature and took a blood pressure reading. The numbers once again confirmed that she was getting stronger and I was pleased to see a little more colour in her cheeks.

"She's getting better, isn't she Lifeline?" Flint commented softly, his eyes not leaving Lady Jaye's face.

I took her wrist and held it gently, feeling the strong pulse, "Yeah, she is…I expect her to be waking up any day, now."

Flint turned his head at me and grinned suddenly, "Yeah…, me too."

The corners of my mouth upturned as I dropped my head and quickly jotted down the numbers.

"You know, Lifeline, when this is all over, I owe you a cold one," Flint leaned back and stared at me, suddenly serious.

"And I look forward to taking you up on that offer…" I gave him a curt nod.

Flint chuckled lightly. His eyes warmed as he returned his gaze to Lady Jaye's sleeping face. "Did you ever hear about the time Lady Jaye and I first met?" he smiled softly and then broke into a wide grin. "We didn't exactly hit it off."

"No, can't say that I have," I turned to stare at him in surprise. _He was sharing stories about Lady Jaye with me? That was a first._ I sat lightly on the edge of her bed to listen.

He grinned at me and then immediately launched into a story about how he had been test driving a new Joe tank while Lady Jaye and Road Block were playing the bad guys, driving Cobra Hiss tanks. His tank had easily out-manuevered and out-gunned them both as he made quick work of their inferior Cobra tanks.

After it was over, Lady Jaye had turned to him in an angry rant, verbally reaming him up one side and down the other. Flint admitted, with a sheepish grin, that it had been the most difficult thing in the world to walk away without saying a word.

 _"_ Why does that not surprise me?," I slipped, and then reddened.

Flint looked at me in surprise and then began to chuckle softly, "You know us pretty well, don't you?"

"There's not much that I miss," I admitted with a slight grin.

"No, I suppose not," he looked at me oddly and then began to laugh, softly at first and slowly increasing, releasing the tension of many days.

Soon we were both laughing so hard, we almost missed the soft sigh coming from her bed.

Almost.

The room fell silent as Flint and I stared at Lady Jaye. And then, as if to make sure we'd really heard it the first time, she did it again.

Flint nearly fell off the edge of his chair in his excitement, an eager, boyish expression on his face.

"Lady Jaye?" he whispered hesitantly, his chair legs scraping the floor as he scooted even nearer.

"Jaye?," he said again, louder.

I quickly slipped behind him, staying out of sight, not sure how she would react to my presence, to being in the hospital. I knew all too well how she had behaved in the past.

"Jaye, Honey, it's time to wake up," he coaxed, lightly stroking her cheek. He leaned in close, inhaling her scent as his warm breath tickled her skin.

"Come on, just open those beautiful brown eyes."

Her sigh became a soft moan as her eyes fluttered and then opened.

"Flint?," her hoarse voice was thick and came out in barely a whisper.

The man's face split into a huge, lopsided grin, "Lady Jaye! You're awake!" He nearly jumped out of his chair in his excitement.

"Flint….?" she whispered again. From what I could see of her eyes, they were still somewhat dazed. She coughed lightly and then grimaced.

"Yes Jaye, I'm right here," he grasped her hand eagerly and squeezed so hard her finger tips began changing colour.

"Wha….?, Whe….?" she mumbled in confusion.

Her eyes began darting nervously around the hospital room, quickly growing into a mild panic, and before Flint or I could stop her, she tried to sit up. Instantly, a surprised cry of pain broke from her lips and she fell back, sharp stabs shooting through her injured arm and leg. Moaning, she sank into her pillow.

"Hey, take it easy," Flint stood up worriedly, "You just woke up." He pressed a heavy hand to her shoulder to still her.

"Woke…u…?" She turned her head toward the sound of his voice. She was having trouble forming a sentence. Her thoughts seemed thick and muddled.

"You've been asleep for a while," he said softly, sinking back down into his chair as he realised she wasn't going to try moving again.

"Asleep?," she frowned, staring up at him.

It was starting to come back, snippets and pieces of her memory. The mission.…, Hawk…, going under cover…, secretary…,

"We've all been waiting for you to wake up."

"Waiting…for me?," She bit her bottom lip in concentration, "The last thing …I remember… was Scotland," her brow furrowed deeper, "Cobra…"

"Snake Eyes and Scarlet brought you back."

She fell silent as her brows drew together in concentration. Then, pressing a hand to her head, she groaned suddenly in frustration, "Oh…, Why can't I remember….?"

"Hey…, give yourself time. You were unconscious. You've been here a week…,"

"A week!," she gasped, her eyes widening. She was trying to make sense of what he was telling her but her head was starting to ache, her whole body starting to hurt.

Flint had taken her hand and was gently rubbing it. He watched quietly as worry, fear, anger and frustration swept over her face.

"I was… bad?" she whispered, hesitantly.

"Yes, Lady Jaye, you were."

"How …How bad?," her face paled.

His voice lowered, "Very bad. It was touch and go for a quite a while…It was so bad at one point…, we didn't know if you were going to make it," he grew quiet.

She stilled, her mind whirling with all he had told her. She pressed a hand to her now pounding head and grimaced. If only she could think straight…She closed her eyes again tightly, trying to gather her fleeting thoughts.

When she opened them, she saw Flint looking down at her, his face etched with concern.

"And you were here…, with me…, waiting?," she tilted her head slightly and frowned. Her thoughts were still disjointed.

"Do you even need to ask that?" he raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Alison, …I almost lost you."

Her eyes widened at his use of her real name. As he met and held her gaze, a heated blush crept over her cheeks.

"Flint…, I mean D…Dash," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat, "You…," She lowered her eyes as they suddenly filled with tears.

"Hey…, none of that now," Flint leaned in close and slowly drew a hand down her still delightfully heated cheek. Smiling, he cupped her chin and gently tilted her face to meet his.

"I wanted to be here when you woke up."

"Dash,…I….," she began again, softly. Then her smile froze, only half formed, as her face suddenly drained of colour.

"Jaye…," Flint cried out. "Lifeline, do something!"

Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, a trembling hand pressed firmly to her temple. "D…Dash…my..my head…it hurts," she moaned. Tears had begun to slide down her cheeks as she curled into a ball.

I grabbed a syringe and a vial and pushed my way past Flint to her bedside. I didn't care if she saw me now.

"This will help with the pain, Lady Jaye," I spoke soothingly as I took her hand in mine, "Hang on."

I quickly plunged the syringe into the catheter and the pain medicine began to work almost immediately. Her body relaxed, her tears stopped. The injection left her numb and drowsy, her eyelids already growing heavy.

"Fli…., Life…..?" she mumbled drowsily, rolling to her back.

"Sleep, now…Ali," Flint had resumed his spot by the head of her bed, his face still tight with worry, his thumb now rubbing circles around the bruises on her hand.

As I disposed of the used syringe, I shook my head softly and exhaled slowly.

Of all the foolish, stubborn, love sick people I knew…these two topped the list easily. In general, I thought of myself as a 'by the book' kind of guy and yet, I was finding that impression of myself challenged with the Joes. I was fully aware of the risk Flint and Lady Jaye were taking, their disregard for frat regs and yet, …I found myself rooting for them. If there was ever a pair that belonged together, it was these two.

Flint stayed by her side even after she had fallen back to sleep. He was propped up on his elbows watching the remaining lines of pain fade from her face. Leaning forward, resting his chin in his hands, his face had settled into a wide grin.

I smiled as I watched him. I couldn't help it.

"Welcome home, Ali," Flint whispered with his goofy grin, unaware that I was still in the room.

I shook my head again as I tiptoed out of the room. No. Not from me. No one would hear anything. Their secret was safe with me.


	21. Chapter 21

_Once again, I don't speak Gaelic, but Lady Jaye does…What a conundrum for a writer…These phrases are from the internet and you never know how accurate they are. Apologies beforehand if they are incorrect and please, please, let me know if I've made a mistake. I would turn a thousand shades of red if you didn't._

 _"_ _Imeacht gan teacht ort!" - Go away and don't come back!_

 _"_ _Imigh leat" - Off/away with you!_

 _"_ _Go n-ithe an tochas thú" - May you be eaten by the itch!_

 _"_ _Briseadh agus brú ar do chnámha" - Breaking and crushing to your bones!_

 _"_ _Gread leat" - Beat it/shove off!_

 _Thank you for following along and reading…. I DO appreciate it! More than you could ever know._

* * *

Doc had returned! I heard it from Dusty, who had heard it from Shipwreck, who had heard it from… oh, never mind. The important thing is that he's back! I'm so excited, I'm almost giddy.

I was told his transport arrived sometime during the night. I haven't seen him yet, but believe me, I have been watching for him all morning. Despite my very best effort, my face keeps breaking into an easy grin. Doc always did have that effect on me. I was looking forward to hearing about his last two weeks. He'll have lots of amusing stories, I'm sure. And I can't wait to catch him up on Lowlight, on Duke and…

…And then I heard it.

"Gread leat!," followed by the sound of a metal tray hitting the floor.

 _…_ _and on Lady Jaye_ , I heaved a heavy sigh.

Less than half a moment later, a Green Shirt medic came running out of Lady Jaye's room, his eyes wide with fright. Shaking my head, I removed my glasses and pinched the bridge of my nose. _Well…, I can't say I hadn't been expecting this. She has been recovering quite rapidly since she woke up, maybe a little too rapidly._ I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. _Here goes nothing._

I entered her room, my face full of disapproval as I carefully stepped over a metal tray and then navigated around the contents of her lunch strewn across the floor.

"Lady Jaye," I admonished sternly.

She was sitting up against the bed frame, trembling, her brown eyes flashing, "Go n-ithe an tochas thú!," she growled.

 _Yes, I could see she was definitely feeling much better. Too bad Flint was on duty._ I resisted the sudden urge to remove my glasses again.

"Lady Jaye…," I said reproachfully, "I need you to calm down or you're going to hurt yourself," I moved to her bedside and began carefully readjusting her IV line.

Her eyes narrowed and slowly darkened as she watched me.

"Imigh leat!," she ripped her hand out of mine. Angry red crept up her cheeks. "Imeacht gan teacht out!"

I stared at her a moment, my mouth open in disbelief, and then I counted to ten.…slowly. One more time, I reached out and took her hand in mine. "You need to let me check this." I said firmly, tightening my grip on her smaller wrist. "I will not permit you to re-injure yourself."

I carefully peeled back the surgical tape to check the IV site while she glared white hot daggers at me. Thankfully, the catheter looked okay and her vein was not damaged. Releasing her hand, I gave a sigh and sat down heavily on the end of her bed.

She immediately slid to the far edge, her voice sharp with irritation, "Why won't you let me out of here? I'm perfectly fine."

I smiled weakly; it was already becoming an old argument with her, "I'm afraid I still can't do that, Lady Jaye. You and I both know you're not 'fine.'"

"But, I can't stay here any longer," she insisted, a hint of desperation touching her voice as her eyes darted uncomfortably around the light blue room, "and I won't," she muttered rebelliously under her breath, her hand clutching her blanket in an angry fist.

"I'm the doctor, Lady Jaye. It's my job to say when you are well enough for release and right now you're not. You were badly hurt when you arrived and you're still recovering. I only want what's best for you.

"Then, let me go. Release me," she insisted.

I studied her animated, eager, pleading face, and my own clouded with a heavy heart. "No, Lady Jaye, you know I can't."

Her face fell with disappointment.

An uncomfortable silence grew between us and my frustration grew with it. Finally, I just had to know. My voice came out quiet and controlled, despite my inner turmoil, "What's this all this about, Lady Jaye? Why do you hate the infirmary so much?" _…and me,_ I wished I had the courage to ask. _There had to be a good reason for her behaviour._

Lady Jaye pressed her lips firmly together and narrowed her eyes, unyielding. She refused to speak.

 _So,_ _if I am to find out, it is to be a battle of wills,_ I thought, as I studied her calmly. _Very well._

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me," I folded my arms over my chest and glared. Stubborn is as stubborn does and I was determined be every bit as stubborn as this stubborn Joe woman in front of me.

She mimicked me, crossing her arms over her chest, returning the glare with even more ferocity. "Briseadh agus brú ar do chnámha…," she hissed.

"English, Lady Jaye…," I sighed, rubbing my temples wearily, "And would you please just answer my question."

She rolled her eyes and a faint smirk touched her lips. "Fine," she raised her chin haughtily, "I… don't… like… hospitals," she annunciated each word slowly and clearly.

"I gathered that," I said dryly, "What I want to know is, why?"

At that, her eyes darkened once again and she shook her head stubbornly. I knew I was treading on forbidden territory, but I refused to settle for a 'no' from her.

"Look," I continued persuasively, "I realise I'm asking you to trust me, and maybe I haven't earned your trust yet, but won't you at least give me a try?"

"Trust…you?" She took in a sharp breath and her cheeks paled slightly. She opened and closed her mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out. Then, to my growing consternation, she dropped her head and wrapped her arms around herself protectively and shuddered.

"Lady Jaye?" I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "What is it? What's wrong?"

She glanced at me. Her eyes, just moments before flashing in anger, were now shadowed with pain and hurt.

"Are you okay? Talk to me."

She shook her head, "I …can't."

"Yes, you can, Lady Jaye. Please….I would never, ever do anything to hurt you." I continued, "I've only ever wanted to be your friend," my voice was soft.

Her startled eyes lifted to meet mine.

"Won't you let me? Please? Tell me what's troubling you. I want to help…,"

Her eyes were beginning to soften, ever so slightly, and my heart began to speed up. I could feel it; I was breaking through her tough exterior. I reached for her hand gently, tentatively, and placed mine over it. To my surprised delight, she didn't pull away from me.

Doc appeared in the doorway at that moment. So intent was I on Lady Jaye, I didn't even see him. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Lady Jaye, trust me."

Her breath hitched and she shuddered once again.

"Lady Jaye…?"

She lifted her eyes slowly to meet mine and her shoulders slumped in defeat, the walls were crumbling down.

"Trust me…" she whispered bitterly, "I heard that once before, you know...a long time ago."

"Lady Jaye, what are you saying?," my voice rose in concern. _Had someone hurt her, someone she trusted?_

Doc was quietly observing everything with growing amazement. She was doing something for me she had never done for him…opening up. He shook his head in wonder as she continued to speak…softly, haltingly.

"I've never liked hospitals…" she frowned and looked down at her arm. Trembling slightly, she clutched her wrist where I had noticed before a faint scar just barely visible. Her eyes filled with tears she stubbornly refused to let fall. It was obvious that she was fighting some internal battle, some ghost from the past.

"Go on," I encouraged gently. I waited in silence, my eyes never leaving her face while she slowly reined in her emotions.

Lady Jaye was very good at acting and she had the ability to step outside of herself. Drawing on that ability now, she pushed aside her emotions and her face became unreadable. Then, avoiding my eyes, she swallowed and took a deep breath and began again.

"I've never liked hospitals since… I was as kid and I was bitten by a dog... We found out after the fact that he had rabies. I had to undergo a series of shots in my stomach, I don't know how many, but… it lasted for days." Her voice turned bitter and hard despite her effort to remain in control, "The smiling doctor told me to 'trust him,' he said it wouldn't hurt, that it would be over quickly. I was only five, so I believed him. I trusted him."

She absently rubbed her abdomen, her face full of shadows.

With dawning comprehension, I realised she was speaking about more than just one kind of hurt. Sure, there was the very real physical pain, but there was also the pain of betrayal. Her doctor had betrayed a little girl's trust. Suddenly her anger…and her fear, made a lot of sense.

She continued, "We had to go in every day for many days. Each time he would tell me it was almost over, and to be brave, that it wasn't that bad. Then the room would reek of the alcohol he wiped across my stomach and my bare skin would tighten with cold. I remember screaming, my parents holding me down as he pressed the needle into my stomach…then the burning pain after the injection. I've…always hated the smell of hospitals, of rubbing alcohol…. I have never trusted doctors since…probably never will."

She raised her head and glared at me defiantly, bravely. As I studied her face, I saw a glimpse of the hidden vulnerability as well. _And she hid it, oh so well… It was no wonder she was afraid of hospitals and doctors….That kind of trauma to a five year old would leave a lasting impression on anyone. And the doctor?….I felt ashamed of what that 'so called' doctor had done…and to an innocent, trusting child,…to Lady Jaye,… to the little Alison she once was._

"I'm so sorry…," I said, my own heart hurting for her. "That was a terrible thing to go through as a child." I took her hand and gave a quick squeeze, "I…, Thank you for telling me, for trusting me enough... I know it wasn't easy."

She gave a short, curt nod and then wiped a tear away.

A protectiveness rose up in me, a desire to make it right. I pushed my glasses up my nose angrily. "Lady Jaye. I promise you this. I will never, ever, say anything but the truth to you, even when the truth is hard."

She swallowed and stared at me, her brown eyes widening.

I quickly took in the bandages still visible on her head, arm and leg to the IV still connected to her right hand. Then, I met and held her dark eyes. "And right now…as much as you hate it…I'm telling you the truth when I say you need to stay here in the infirmary. You are not yet ready to leave the hospital. I cannot, with good conscience, release you."

Lady Jaye bit her bottom lip. Deep down, she knew she wasn't ready, that her body was still mending. Though she'd never admit it, she was still in a lot of pain whenever she moved. She had been badly injured and had almost died… and it scared her more than she was willing to let on. And, when it came right down to it, she knew she owed this man her life. It was he who had pulled her through that rough first night, and he who had patiently and carefully tended her as she recovered.

A wave of guilt and then gratitude washed over her.

"You're going to have to let me to make the decision for when you are ready. Give me a chance to earn your trust. I won't keep you longer than necessary," I finished quietly.

She stared at me in silence and then, she did the one thing I would never have expected from her, she wrapped her arms around me and… I think I blushed.

"Thank you," she whispered sincerely. "For asking and… for listening…and for telling me the hard truth," she swallowed a sigh, "You're right. I'm not ready." I could feel that she was still trembling slightly.

I wrapped my arms around her loosely and patted her back. "But you will be soon, with the way you're going," I smiled encouragingly.

She pulled away and gave me a soft smile in return.

I suddenly became aware of Doc behind me, chuckling with his deep throaty bass. So did Lady Jaye. Dropping her arms instantly, her face turned bright red.

"Doc!" I whipped my head around in surprise. A grin spread across my face. "I'd heard you were back…"

He strolled casually into the room and slapped me on the back, chuckling the entire time. Then he smiled warmly at Lady Jaye and squeezed her arm.

"I'm glad to see you're recovering, my dear," he told her gently, "I heard about your injuries."

"Thanks, Doc. It's good to see you back, too."

As they interacted, I carefully observed Lady Jaye's face. Some of the fear was fading but her eyes were now heavy with fatigue and weariness. I also knew that her head was starting to bother her. She was trying hard not to wince, to give it away, but the tightness around her eyes and the color fading from her cheeks told me she was in pain.

What can I say, like Doc, I was learning to read my patients like a book.

"Your head is hurting again, isn't it?" I asked accusingly.

She met my eyes in surprise and then quickly dropped them, giving a short nod. I had seen right through her tough exterior.

"Do you want something for it?"

"No…., It's ok for now…maybe later if it gets worse."

"Ok. Just let me know when," I fluffed her pillow and then patted it invitingly, "You should probably lay down and try to get some rest."

She looked at me and blinked, and then without argument, …actually lay down.

I smiled to myself. As I pulled the blanket up and began to tuck her in, taking care around her IV, she reached over and grasped my hand and I froze.

Doc looked from my startled face to Lady Jaye's and then back to me and shook his head, "I knew I picked the right one when I chose you," he chuckled softly.

Lady Jaye's warm hand squeezed mine and I turned to her. Her face, for the first time, was relaxed.

"I'm glad you decided to be a Joe," she said softly, "and Lifeline, I…want to trust you…I mean, I'll try."

Doc eyes twinkled humorously, "I think you've just been officially accepted into the clan…by one of our most notorious patients, too," he rested a hand affectionately on Jaye's shoulder and laughed heartily, ignoring the evil look she was giving him. "Welcome to the Joe family, Son."

Dusty…Shipwreck…Alpine…Bazooka…Scarlet…Lowlight…Duke…Cover Girl…Flint…and now, Lady Jaye. Somehow, I had crossed over the line of friendship without realising it and was now a part of the family.

My heart did a little flip flop as my face split into a wide grin.

They were my family.

 _My Joe family._

I had found where I belonged.


	22. Chapter 22

_This chapter is the last. The story of Lifeline becoming a Joe is complete. He has gone from being the new guy on the team to being one of the family. It wasn't easy and he had a lot learn, there were a lot of ups and downs and trials…and he is still learning. But he has found his place and is now at home with the Joes._

 _Thanks for reading and following along. If you liked Lifeline's Musings, or not, feel free to let me know. Constructive criticism appreciated. I'm just a developing writer who dreams of getting better, simply a writer who likes to write._

 _Thanks again for all the support and encouragement…For now, Lifeline is off on another mission, busy with Doc, doing what they both love, taking care of the Joes._

* * *

"Lifeline, you're wanted in Flint's office," Breaker's voice informed me over the com.

"Looks like you have a new mission," Doc looked up from his keyboard and raised an eyebrow, "With Flint."

"Sure does," I pushed out from my desk and grinned. "Gotta run. Catch ya later, Doc."

"Ok, sounds good," he had already turned back to his computer.

I was working with several Joes…Flint, Lady Jaye, Dusty, Mainframe and Ripcord. Our mission was to infiltrate the Cobra Base and acquire some much needed information for Hawk. We'd be heading out toward Patagonia, just south of the Amazon Rain Forest.

I gave Flint a nod every now and then as I listened, the rest of the team doing the same. It sounded like an ordinary mission to me.

Then, Flint told us we'd be parachuting in… and I think I stopped breathing.

"Lifeline, are you all right?" Lady Jaye lay a worried hand on my arm.

Flint was staring at me and frowning, "You have jumped before, right?"

"Yeah…" My face paled as I sank into my chair, "…yeah, I have." _Oh, man….I have to jump?….I hate jumping. I mean, I'm trained and all that, I just haven't done it on a real mission before. I am a tad nervous…what am I saying, I am petrified._ "No problem, Flint," I managed to get out.

I guess my face was saying otherwise because Dusty moved closer and spoke in a quiet voice, "Don't worry, yer gonna be just fine."

I nodded, wide eyed, unable to utter another sound.

We headed south the next morning.

Flying high over the Amazon Rain Forest, Flint yelled to be heard above the loud rotors of the Tomahawk. "Ok gang, we're approaching the drop zone. Gear up and get ready to jump."

Everyone reached for their gear and began strapping on their chutes, adjusting and readjusting their harnesses. Dusty partnered with me to go over the fitting, tightening and adjusting wherever it was needed.

"I sure do like jumping…," he said eagerly, "there's nothing like the sound of the wind roaring past your ears, …the bird's eye view of everything below, watching it all growing larger, second by second. Nope, there ain't nothing like it in the world," he sighed happily.

"Yeah, nothing," I was a little green around the mouth.

He looked at me and laughed. "Yer gonna be just fine…besides, we've all got yer back." he grinned, "No one goes this alone."

I gave him a nod.

Soon were were all ready.

"Five minutes to the drop zone," Flint announced.

I stood in the shadows, watching the guys line up for their jumps.

Dusty slapped me encouragingly on the back and then moved into position, waiting for his signal.

"You'll be fine," Lady Jaye gave me a quick hug before grabbing me by the shoulders and steering me toward the open door.

"Go!," Flint yelled.

One by one, the Joes began jumping.

I watched as Dusty's eyes lit up when it was his turn and then he jumped, "Yee Hawwwwww!" His voice trailed behind him. Soon he was out of sight.

Then I watched Ripcord move into position. I watched him grin and give two thumbs up as he leapt from the transport. "Yo Joeeee!"

As their excitement grew on me, I was aware of my own fears slowly dissipating.

"Go get 'em, guys!" I yelled out the open door after them.

"Shhhh," Flint hushed, but not before I caught a glimpse of a twinkle in his eyes.

"Sorry," I grinned, beginning to enjoy the wild feeling of the wind whipping all around.

"You're next," Flint signalled, "Get ready."

"Oh yeah,… right," I laughed, tightening the strap to my medical kit once more, checking my harness…

"Now…Go!," he yelled, giving me a push.

Without thinking, I jumped.

"Geronimo!" I yelled, "Look out below!"

Lady Jaye and Flint were out the door right behind me, both wearing matching grins.

* * *

The mission was completed without a hitch.

We managed to infiltrate the Cobra base and make it, without confrontation, to their main computer room. Once there, Lady Jaye and Flint quickly knocked out the two night guardsmen on duty, and then changed into their Cobra uniforms. Though they weren't perfect fits, they fit well enough for our purposes.

Initially, I did laugh a little under my breath at Lady Jaye's somewhat baggy and oversized uniform. She pulled it off to my surprise, however, acquiring a confident posture that made it quite believable.

Flint and Lady Jaye stood outside guarding the door, while Mainframe hacked into the Cobra computers. Within only a few minutes he was in the system and already downloading what we needed.

I have to say, I'm glad the guy's on our side. Maybe he is just a computer geek, but he's good. No, better than that, the guy is a whiz; he knows his way inside and out of a computer. For one who can barely utilise Excel, I can admire that. It was no wonder Flint often requested him for his team. When it comes to this kind of mission, there is no one better.

While Mainframe was busy at the computer, Dusty and I dragged the Cobra guards out of sight. I guess Lady Jaye and Flint must have knocked them pretty hard as they were still unconscious. I admit, to Dusty's chagrin, I did check their pulses to make sure they were alright. Hey, I'm a doctor!

Other than a headache when they woke up, I figured would be fine. Dusty just shook his head at me amusedly when I turned to him with a sheepish grin.

When we finished tying them up, Dusty stood over them, his weapon drawn. I stood to the other side, empty handed.

Everyone knows I'm a pacifist by now, and that I won't pick up or use a weapon. They just accept it. I guess everyone's allowed a quirk, and that's mine. I'd heard Scarlet had a thing about spiders, Lady Jaye, heights…, Cross Country, a strange affection to country music, and Bazooka, well, like his name suggests, bubble gum.

Maybe the Joes see me as a little strange, but that's ok…when it comes down to it, we're all a little strange.

The Joes, the elite of the military, are made up of multi-talented… misfits…those who would not fit in a strictly regimented unit. If you don't believe me, think of Shipwreck…or Flint and Lady Jaye…or even Snake Eyes or Scarlet. I can not imagine any of them in standard greens, constantly firing off salutes to their superior offices. Each one of them has a chip on their shoulder, an independent streak that drives them into being the best that they are, better than the rest. In my opinion, it's what makes a Joe, a Joe.

And, as crazy as it sounds, by some strange computation, the Joe team, made up of these misfits, actually works. Among the Joes, the talented misfits of the military find themselves suddenly fitting together and thriving as a team. Road Block, heavy gunner and chef extraordinaire, Cover Girl the beautiful ex-model turned tank driver and mechanic, Spirit and his bald eagle, Freedom…if that's not strange, then what is? The Joes aren't just a special force made up of elite soldiers, they are a multi-talented, quirky, best of the best, close knit… family. Go figure.

Mainframe finished downloading the information Hawk requested and pocketed his stick. Looking up, he signalled to Flint. It was time to go. M-16s drawn, Flint and Lady Jaye took the lead and set the pace, still donning their Cobra blues. We retraced our steps back to Wild Bill who was waiting in the Tomahawk.

Unfortunately, Zartan and his Dreadnocks showed up just as we were slipping out the back door. We exchanged a bit of fire with them and then ran for the Tomahawk. As a last frustrated effort, Ripper launched a grenade that landed well behind us, but apparently far enough. I felt a sharp sting and then looked down in surprise to see a red patch spreading on my arm.

Slightly dazed by the injury, I stumbled. Dusty, fully aware of what had happened, grabbed me and hauled me inside.

"Wild Bill…Go!" Flint yelled toward the cockpit. "Now!"

Immediately, we lifted into the air and headed into the distance, quickly leaving Zartan and Cobra far behind.

Besides my arm, Flint and Mainframe had also received several cuts and scratches. Dusty cleansed and bandaged my wound while Lady Jaye treated Flint's and Mainframe's lesser injuries. It didn't take long and after Lady Jaye had finished, Flint pulled out a stack of blankets and passed them around.

"Great work out there, men," he smiled wearily, "Hawk will be pleased. Now, if you're anything like me, you must be tired. I suggest you try to get some rest," he put a hand to his mouth as he stifled a yawn, "We have a long flight home."

We had been going nonstop for over 24 hours. Mission over and adrenalin fading, we were all beginning to feel the need for sleep.

I watched curiously as he joined Lady Jaye in the corner, pulling a blanket up over the two of them. After an exchange of a few soft words and smiles, he rested a hand on her knee and then leaned back and closed his eyes. Lady Jaye rested her head against his shoulder, her own eyelids already drooping.

It had been a long night for everyone. I pulled the blanket up under my chin. Like the others, I closed my eyes and let sleep overtake me.

* * *

The morning was quiet, a new day just beginning. Doc was seated before his computer.

I approached confidently.

"Anything I need to know about today's list of patients, Doc?" I asked curiously, flipping through the chart on the top of the pile.

My left arm was still in a sling from the piece of shrapnel I had picked up. Nothing serious, just a small cut, but it had needed a few stitches.

He spun his chair around till he was facing me, his lips lifted slowly into a knowing smile. "Don't worry. We'll just take it as it comes. I'm sure there's nothing the two of us can't handle together." Then he pulled off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose and grinned. "I guarantee it," His deep throaty chuckle started as he turned back to his computer.

I just stood there, my eyes widening as I laughed out loud. I couldn't help it. I was suddenly reminded of another day a long time ago.

"You can learn a lot when you're a medic." Doc had told me when we first started working together.

Looking back on all I have seen and learned with the Joes, it was probably the wisest thing I have ever heard.

And, believe me…., I had learned a lot.

The Joes are a crazy bunch of people, each and every one bringing a unique personality and set of skills to to team, to the family. I am proud to be one of them. That said, being a Joe isn't easy; being their doctor is even harder. Nevertheless, I know without a doubt, I am a Joe doctor, through and through.

"Lifeline, you're wanted in Hawk's office," Breaker voice broke over the com.

"Alright. Be right there," I grinned.

"And bring your med kit."

Doc raised his head and our questioning eyes met.

I just shrugged and grinned, "Joes."

He nodded and went back to his work.

Yup, I was right where I belonged.

Yo Joe!


End file.
